There is Freedom Without
by Ooffo Rancoofsis
Summary: A team of Jedi is sent to investigate the myths surrounding the Force Ghost phenomena that Qui-Gon Jinn and Yoda discovered. On the mission, an apprentice discovers his master's dark past, two young padawans discover their budding feelings for each other, and a fallen Jedi discovers the fourth precept of the code she no longer believes in.
1. Ch 1: The False Past

There is Freedom Without

Ch. 1: The False Past

Time seemed to slow. Nuru Kungurama's blue hand gripped his lightsaber tightly, his body poised in the opening stance of the Shien form. His glowing red eyes narrowed as he and his opponent circled around each other. The young, brown haired boy he faced held his lightsaber sloppily with its blade extended behind him, more like a thug wielding a length of pipe than a Jedi wielding a lightsaber. Nuru waited. Form V worked best when the opponent made the first move, but more than that, it was a longstanding principle of combat not to make the first move unless you had a good trick to catch your opponent off guard. Another principle of combat said to never reveal your tricks too soon.

Nuru could see the infrared heat radiating off of the boy. He was tense. The dark haired boy rushed. His lightsaber swung around in a long, powerful disarming arc- the signature move of the basic Shi-Cho form. Like a cornered street Tooka, Nuru sprang into action. He took one step back, his own lightsaber blade coming down like a hammer. The boy's wild strike hit, their blue blades crashing together for less than a second before his blade continued on its trajectory. With Nuru's back-step and glancing deflect, the boy's strike lost only a fraction of its expected kinetic energy, his blade swinging around leaving him exposed.

Now it was Nuru's turn. The very second after their blades hit Nuru sprang. He brought his lightsaber to his side thereby protecting himself from a counter. Instead of using his blade to attack, he brought up his boot and slammed it into the boy's chest sending him stumbling back. The boy's lightsaber, held at an odd angle, twisted as he fell and stabbed into his side. As he smashed into the floor, it wedged between the ground and his body. He howled in pain. A fatal wound- if this was live combat. Still, the training blade was very hot and very painful. He let go of the activation stud and the blade shimmered out of existence.

"Caleb Dume is down! Nuru Kungurama is the victor!" shouted Cin Drallig, the Jedi Battlemaster. Nuru could feel the adrenaline drain out of his body. The Battlemaster hurried over to check on Caleb's wounds.

"Sorry," Nuru said awkwardly, "Is it alright?"

"You have nothing to be sorry for, lad," said Cin as he helped up Caleb. Caleb tried to stand on his own but stumbled. "Nuru," said Cin.

"Yes Master Drallig?"

"Take Caleb to the infirmary and tell them what happened."

Nuru nodded, "Yes Master." He took Caleb's arm over his shoulder and they walked slowly but surely down the halls to the infirmary.

"Are you okay?" asked Nuru when they were a good distance away.

"I'm fine," said Caleb, "Where did you learn to do that?"

"Oh, well, I am older than you," he said modestly. It was true though, Nuru was almost fifteen but had the physiology of a 17-20 year old human due to his Chiss heritage. He had the strength and reflexes of a human long past the age of puberty.

"I know but that wasn't just age. It was like I was fighting a real Jedi master."

"Thanks, but it's just because I've already trained under two masters before. I've also been given training in hand to hand combat by clones."

"Wait. You had a master and experience on the battlefield?! What are you doing here?"

"Well 'had' is the key word. I don't have a master anymore and haven't had one for the past year or so."

"Wait, you were by yourself for a year? What happened?"

"Long story," said Nuru, "But after my last master, I felt that I wasn't ready for another. Plus, there is always a shortage of Jedi masters so it's not like they had extra to spare."

"The Council was ok with that?"

"Kind of. It was unusual, but they understood how unusual it was to lose two masters as fast as I did. They thought I had shown exceptional ability and fortitude or something so they allowed me to figure things out and just serve the Republic as is. I think they thought that I would come back after a few weeks or months, but I took my time."

"So what were you doing?"

"I went on missions with a clone unit called Breakout Squad. We were together for almost a year."

"What made you come back?"

Nuru hesitated, "The longer I was away, the more alienated I felt from the Jedi. I developed more and more questions about things, things only Jedi can talk about or know, but I had nobody. Basically, the more I spent time out there, the less 'Jedi' I felt and I didn't like it. I feared one day I would be too old to be accepted back."

"Well with your credentials you'll probably be the first chosen."

"Thanks. But I'm sure you will find a master too."

"Anything's possible," said Caleb sorta optimistically. They arrived in the medcenter. It was completely empty as far as Nuru could tell, except that there were several medical droids buzzing around. Nuru explained to one of the droids what had happened and they took Caleb and began running tests and applying disinfectant to his burns.

"You have light degree burns and a few scrapes," announced the droid, "A bacta tank will not be required."

"Get well soon," said Nuru.

"Thanks."

Nuru was walking towards the exit when he realized that the medical center was not quite as empty as he thought. Off to the side in a dim corner sat what looked to be some type of glass coffin. He walked closer and found it to have rows of sensors and readouts. Through the glass, the being inside appeared to be a human or near human female sleeping soundly. Her skin appeared to be tanned, but faded, as if she had a naturally dark tone but had been inside for far too long. In between her eyes and above her nose was a small gold bead. It looked familiar; just then Nuru remembered where he had seen it before. Although he knew nothing about their culture, he recognized it as a Chalactan mark of illumination. Chalactan adepts were famous for having two marks of illumination, one in between the eyes and one on the forehead, however the sleeping woman's forehead was almost entirely covered up by a small white cloth tied around her head.

He recognized her; the sleeping woman was no other than the famous Jedi council master Depa Billaba. Or rather ex-council member. He tried to remember what had happened to her. There were rumors that she had disappeared on the planet Haruun Kal while fighting the infamous jedi killer General Grievous. From what he had heard, the CIS general had severely wounded her causing critical brain damage. Oddly, instead of finishing her off, he decided to take one of her marks of illumination as a trophy instead of her lightsaber. He didn't know if there was any truth in these tales, but here she was before him. She was clearly still alive as the monitors indicated that she was stable, but more than that, he could feel the force flowing through her. It was subdued and slightly off putting, but clearly she was alive.

He reached out with the force. Sure enough, her mind was a black box. He could not feel anything except the general pulse of life, but wait- something else was there. Maybe if he kept searching… He stopped. What was he doing? Mind probing a Jedi master?! Was he insane? And yet, something felt wrong, but it attracted his curiosity. He remembered when he was younger, he had first witnessed the horrors of war on the planet Drongar. A clone had been killed by a small explosive, his blood and vital organs splattered on the surrounding jungle land. Nuru had not wanted to look upon the carnage, but felt an irresistible urge to do so. He did not enjoy it, but in the moment it had felt so _necessary._ Something about the haunting sight forced him to look. It felt the same with the Jedi's mind. He could sense something in there, something dark, some type of repressed mental carnage every bit as gristly as the horrors of war he had faced.

He reached out again. It was dark. He pushed deeper getting a feel for her subconscious mental rhythms. Suddenly, he saw it. Memories and images flashed across his mind. A pair of whirling lightsabers, the Kaleesh general's skull-like mask. And yet, something seemed off. The vision seemed paper thin, as if there were something deeper. Something being concealed. He pushed deeper. Black skinned bodies, the blazing sun overhead burning everything, the stench of death from the festering corpses. A dark room filled with bodies. Overwhelming stench. A wave of expanding purple energy met a fan of green flame.

"Excuse me sir. Are you alright?" came a voice from the outside. He slingshotted back out of the world of memories and images.

"Sir?" it asked again. He looked up to see a small medical droid staring at him. Did he faint?

"Oh, um, yeah, I'm fine," he murmured.

"Based off of your visual body cues, you seem to be experiencing low blood sugar. Would you like me to hook you up to an IV while I give you a physical examination?"

"No, I promise, I'm fine," he said standing up, "I just need a drink, that's all."

"I can escort you to the -"

"That is quite alright. Please, look after the patients."

"If you insist, however I would advise-"

"Thank you," he said as he walked out of the hospital. He continued down the corridor. It was rather late at night; he looked out of the window to see rain and wind buffeting the Jedi temple, but it seemed to be slacking off. He prefered training during night sessions, right before he got ready for bed. He should head straight back to his dorm, but couldn't at the moment. He kept replaying what he had seen in his head. In the moment, they were vivid and graphic, but over time, like the memories of dreams in the morning, they began to fade. If he did not commit them to memory they could vanish altogether. He couldn't go to sleep now, so he walked towards the kitchens.

The dining hall had twenty four hour service thanks to the labors of a small army of droids, but a the moment, only a few padawans still inhabited the room, chatting and talking to each other. He continued walking towards a small, darkened corner where a droid stood at attention behind a mini bar.

"Good evening," he greeted the droid, "Can I get a Corellian Lite?" Despite his age, over the past few years Nuru had developed an appreciation for light alcoholic drinks. He never got drunk, but throughout the war he would use them quite often to relax. He needed to relax. Experiencing the visions was like being back in the thick of combat, and if he wanted any sleep at all he would need to get the adrenaline down. But there was something else. While in combat Nuru had almost never called upon his anger or acted irresponsibly. Somehow, through the pain and the chaos and the half burnt flesh of men killed by grenades and cannon fire, he was able to remain calm in the middle of combat, like the eye of a hurricane. But the visions were different. While experiencing the visions he had not felt that calm, instead he felt as if he were in the center of a raging inferno. Even now he could feel the pain, the anger, the darkness, the _jungle_ flowing through him.

"Enjoy," said the droid placing the glass on the table. Nuru nodded at the droid in thanks. The droid didn't care, but manners were always important. He took a sip and the drink's fiery tingle seemed to burn away doubt. He knew it was a placebo, the drink wasn't that strong, but it was still comforting. Nuru pulled out an ink stylus that he usually kept tucked away in his robe pocket and started to scribble one one of the square napkins left on the bar. He jotted down a few quick notes on the visions he had seen. He usually had a good memory, but just in case.

"Hey! How did you get that?" Nuru turned around to see a human female padawan with long auburn hair.

"Uh, what do you mean?" he asked cooly.

"You're Nuru Kungurama aren't you?" she asked.

His eyes narrowed. "How do you know my name?"

"Dude! It's me Scout! We were in the same class until you got chosen."

Nuru leaned back slightly in shock, memories of his younger days danced before his eyes. Visions of peace and happiness before the war, before he had lost two masters, before they had even chosen him. Back then, he had friends, not comrades in arms. It was less than three years and yet that could have been a completely different, unknown person.

He was almost always at the top of his class, his only rivals being Ahsoka Tano who was a year or two above and Whie Malreaux who was a year below. It was in part because of his physical abilities, as he seemed to age twice as fast as everyone else, but it also because of his connection to the force which was not only potent but controlled. He remembered back to sparring against the other padawans. Ahsoka was often the only one who could beat him in hand to hand combat, while Whie was one of the few who could match his direct force push. While he was often proud of his abilities and trained with the intention of being the best, he did not refrain from helping others train as well. Admittedly, this was partially because he just enjoyed having weaker partners to defeat, but also because for padawans and younglings, sparring is a way to bond.

The Jedi masters said that in the middle of heated combat it is not uncommon for a force bond to be formed. He didn't know if sparring gave the same bond, but it certainly bonded them in friendship, something Nuru craved. Nuru was popular, but it was because he made the effort. He noticed something about himself that always seemed disconnected from everyone else. It was probably just his appearance, the closest species being Pantorans. Nobody had ever seen a blue skinned, red eyed being before who was not a Duros, and he stuck out. While everyone was nice to him and they seemed awed by his appearance, the disconnect was still there. Humans had a natural affinity for humans and all the other alien species seemed to mesh well together, likely because everyone knew what a Nautolan or a Twi'lek was while nobody really had a clue what he was.

So he strived for friends. He offered to help Scout and they became fast friends. Her connection to the force was not as strong as the other younglings, but she made up for it with her strength and tenacity. They had spared many times together and their friend group had expanded to include others including Ahsoka Tano. It wasn't until Nuru was chosen by his first master Lanchu Skaa that they began drifting apart.

"Scout? It's been so long-" he was cut off by her embracing him. While they hugged, he was careful to slip the napkin he had been scribbling on into his pocket.

"Dude, how's it been going? What's it like going on missions with a Jedi master?"

"Oh, well, about that, they're kinda… dead."

Her joyful expression seemed to drop and be replaced by pain, "Oh, I'm sorry. Mine too."

"Wait you were chosen?"

She punched him in the arm. "Is that so surprising?"

"No, no, I just meant-"

She punched him again, lighter this time. "I know, just messing with you." She smiled, but it wasn't an expression of pure joy like before, but a mask hiding her feelings. "So what was it like? How many did you have?"

"Well, my first master died at Geonosis-" he began, but was cut off again.

"Wait, Geonosis? As in the First Battle of Geonosis?"

"Yeah."

"No poodoo, really? My master died there too."

"Really? Huh. It's kinda weird that we're bonding over what battle our masters died in."

She shrugged, "That's war and all. I didn't really know her that well anyway."

"Same," said Nuru, "So what did you do afterward?"

"Nothing much, really. I mainly stayed at the temple. I was eventually chosen again by Master Jai Maruk, but he died a few days ago. Didn't really know him either."

"That sucks. My master and I, my second, Master Ambase that is, we…" he paused unsure of how to continue, "Kinda had a falling out, but it kinda got better, then he died. That was a while ago." He gave a lazy half shrug.

"So what have you been doing since then?"

"Well, I kinda got thrown in with a squad of clones. The Council let me operate with them because of the shortage of masters. But that's not important. Anyway, what will you be doing now?"

"I don't know," she admitted, "I hope the council can find masters for myself and Whie."

"Whie? Wait, Whie Malreaux?"

"Yeah, him," she smiled. Nuru could see her face get a slight bit red and he noticed in the infared a small increase in facial heat. Nuru grinned a slight bit, but other than that he kept his amusement invisible.

"So," he said a bit too casually, "What about you and Whie?"

"We just got back from a mission. Both of our masters died."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," he said sincerely.

"Anyway, you never did tell me how you got that drink. That's alcohol right? Aren't you fourteen like I am?" she asked while leaning in a bit closer to get a sniff. He casually pulled it away.

"Yeah, but the deal is, the droid is programmed not to serve anyone under twenty because of social customs, but that number is different for every species."

"So you're like physically twenty? What species are you anyway?"

"Well, not really. I'm a Chiss, and physically I'm probably somewhere in the range of a late teenage human, so really I shouldn't. But," he said with another grin, "the droid does not have any programming _at all_ for my species, so it gives me unlimited access. And, since everything is free in the Jedi temple, I don't have to pay for it."

"You sneaky son of a bantha, when did you discover that?"

He took a sip, "Yesterday."

"So you're a fourteen year old alcoholic now?"

"Hey! I don't drink that much."

"Whatever," she looked out the window and saw that it was no longer raining, "I should be going."

Nuru finished the drink and set the glass on the bar. They both stood up. He noticed that he was almost a whole head taller than her. "Going, where? Aren't the dorms inside?"

"Yeah, but I'm going out."

"Out?"

"Yeah, going to go see-" she stopped for a second, "Just going to see the city."

Nuru raised an eyebrow, "At this hour? Are you sure that's, you know, safe?"

"Shut up, just because you look like a Jedi knight doesn't mean you need to act like one."

"Hey," he said giving a slight shrug, "whatever you say. Anyway, goodnight."

"See ya around," she said as they parted ways.

* * *

In the darkness of the infirmary, unbeknownst to the Nuru the monitors on the glass coffin began to light up, rapidly changing. A small trio of medical droids clustered around, alerted by the light and noise as a pair of brown eyes that had been closed for years finally snapped open.


	2. Ch 2: The Shifting Present

Dramatis Personae:

Bodo Baas; Jedi Curator of Records (Krevaaki Male)

Whie Malreaux; Jedi Padawan (Human Male)

Eeth Koth; Jedi Master (Zabrak Male)

Tallisibeth 'Scout' Enwandung-Esterhazy; Jedi Padawan (Human Female)

Depa Billaba; Amnesiac Jedi Master (Chalactan Female)

Nuru Kungurama; Jedi Padawan (Chiss Male)

Nejaa Halcyon; Corellian Jedi Master (Human Male)

Durron DaBoda; Jedi Padawan (Human Male)

Barriss Offee; Recovering Bota Addict (Mirialan Female)

Asajj Ventress; Amnesiac Dark Jedi (Female, Species Unknown)

Sora Bulq; Dark Jedi (Weequay Male)

Palpatine/Darth Sidious; Republic Supreme Chancellor/Sith Lord (Human Male)

Dooku/Darth Tyranus; CIS Head of State/Sith Lord (Human Male)

Yoda; Jedi Grandmaster (Male, Species Unknown)

* * *

Ch. 2: The Shifting Present

Lightning flashed through the tenebrous night sky, further shaded by the storm clouds which blotted out the stars and sent sheets of rain on the Jedi temple and surrounding Coruscant cityscape. The darkness outside reflected a deeper, more insidious darkness in the Force. Every day the Force grew darker. The shadow of the dark side clouded the galaxy, Jedi, like distant candles, held back the growing darkness, but every day more died. One by one each the individual lights faded and were snuffed out, surrendering more and more space to the encroaching darkness.

Had he done the right thing? Ironic. The Grand Master of the Jedi Order did not know if he had done the right thing.

On Vjun, a planet steeped in darkness, he had fought his former apprentice, likely for the last time. They had been evenly matched. Yoda was able to draw on the ambient Force energy of the planet, but it had not been enough, for the Force was corrupted, darkened, giving Dooku an even greater advantage.

His lightsaber was a whirlwind of green, Dooku's a fan of flame. The Count had attempted to end the fight early with a cheap shot, but when his initial gambit failed they dueled evenly. Neither could gain the advantage. Both combatants were up in age and knew they could not last long. But which would expire first? Yoda was more aggressive and would likely tire much faster leaving himself vulnerable, but if Dooku tired at all it could lead to an opening that Yoda's offensive onslaught could exploit.

Instead of leaving the end up to the Force as Yoda had intended, Dooku had one extra trick up his expensive armorweave sleeve. He had remotely activated a cruise missile with its sights set on Chateau Malreaux, the decrepit mansion that they dueled in. Dooku took advantage of the momentary distraction and attempted to flee the battlefield by literally jumping out a nearby window. At that moment, Yoda was faced with an ultimatum: either he could pursue Dooku and continue the duel thereby dooming them both to a death by fiery explosion, or Yoda could let him flee and focus all his energy on telekinetically redirecting the missile.

Yoda had not gone to Vjun with the intent of killing Dooku, well, not exactly. Dooku was the leader of the Confederacy of Independent Systems and as such he stood the heart of the war. Dooku's death could very well lead to infighting and fragmentation of the megacorporations and planetary alliances that held the CIS forces together or even better a quick and peaceful surrender. And yet, Yoda did not want to kill his former padawan. He had gone to Vjun with the intent of talking some sense into the old man, and yet, deep down, he knew it was impossible. Dooku was too far gone. Dooku represented the worst possible sith lord, not some omnicidal maniac or a wayward student with a vendetta against his masters or even a shrewd manipulator who wanted to dominate the galaxy, but a man who was fully committed to doing what he believed was the right thing to do. A man who saw everything and everyone as means to some greater end and was willing to sacrifice anything to achieve the greater end could not be be dissuaded.

In a way, Dooku was very much like the Jedi he fought against. Jedi strived to be disconnected, emotionless, ruled by logic and reason serving a higher end goal, rather than passions and feelings. With some sith, it was easy to draw the line as to what separated them from the Jedi. There were legends about the ancient sith, such as Naga Sadow, who wanted to conquer, to rule, for the sake of glory and power for himself and his empire, or Kaox Krul, whose pain and hatred drove him to hunt down the Jedi and slaughter anyone in the way simply because he felt like it. These sith were ruled by vices, by the desire for power and the subjugation of enemies whereas the Jedi fought them for the greater good of the galaxy and all life, in the form of their service to the light. But with Dooku, he had a similar goal, an orderly and strong galaxy and government that put the strong on top as a means to control the weak, rather than as an end in and of itself.

But no, they were not the same. Dooku was willing to rip the galaxy apart on the path of some pie in the sky fantasy. But at the same time, the Jedi fought for almost the same thing. The Jedi fought for civilization which was always one step away from falling apart at the seams. The Jedi merely plugged the holes, taped up the leaks, cut loose ends, but Dooku wanted to cut the problem at its source. And to do this, he was willing to sacrifice billions. That was the difference. That is why Yoda knew it was impossible to turn Dooku. Once he has started down the dark path, he was a willing slave to the dark side, to his own higher, seemingly noble, ideals.

And as such he had to die. Killing him at all costs was the right thing to do. And if it was just him and Dooku, Yoda would be willing to sacrifice himself to stop Dooku. But it wasn't just them. The young padawans Whie Malreaux and Tallisibeth Enwandung-Esterhazy, who was nicknamed 'Scout' for short, would have died in the conflagration. And so would Master Kenobi and young Skywalker and other non Jedi, such as Whirry Malreaux and her pet fox, who just so happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Even so, to sacrifice a handful to save possibly billions would be noble-at least in a purely mathematical world. And as much as the Jedi could wish otherwise, that was just not the case. No, they lived in a world of emotions, of _feelings_. Such emotions and feelings that were the very path of the dark side. As much as the Jedi tried to sever themselves from said feelings, they always held sway, unless one was a complete sociopath like the Sith themselves.

He tried to justify it logically. After all, the dark side, or even the Sith, would not die with Dooku. Dooku was only half. And like a strand of DNA, as long as half survives, the Sith order can repair itself and grow more powerful. To end the Sith, he would have to find the other half. This other half could be some sort of secret apprentice, but Yoda very strongly suspected this other half was in fact Dooku's Sith master.

He had fought a vision of this master Sith not long before his fateful confrontation with Dooku. That illusionary Sith was just as if not more powerful than Dooku himself, and was the true root of the spreading darkness. But still, wouldn't Dooku's death throw a hydrospanner into whatever this Sith had planned? Or perhaps the master Sith actually wanted Dooku dead in service of some even greater plan? Perhaps Yoda wasn't the target at all, but young Skywalker?

Anakin Skywalker was believed by some to be the Chosen One, the prophesied savior who would destroy the Sith. Perhaps the master Sith wanted to take out both the Chosen One and the Grand Master of the Jedi Order in one fell swoop, and his apprentice Dooku was simply collateral damage. Or did the hidden Sith have some reason to fear all three and wanted to target them all? And yet Yoda could not bet on this. He would not, could not, put all his faith in Skywalker and just _hoped_ that things would work out. If that were the case than Yoda could easily just hide him far, far away from any conflict or danger, or the Sith could engineer any other scheme to target him. No, he was a person named Anakin, possibly nothing more. And as much as he probed and pushed at the Force looking forward for answers, he could find none. The shroud of the dark side and conflict obscured everything.

What would Mace Windu the Order's premier Jedi warrior do in this situation? His powers of long term perception were just as limited as Yoda's, but in the moment he had the gift of seeing shatterpoints, unstable possible futures in the ever changing quantum matrix of reality. He could see possible consequences of any action he would do in the present, and know how and where to strike to bring about the future and the way he wanted it to come. What would he have done? There was no doubt in Yoda's mind as to what he would have done in that situation. He would have killed Dooku.

Mace had learned from his grievous mistake in the arena on Geonosis. He would not let Dooku get away a second time. Mace knew the future was always in motion. He knew that it was foolish to put all their faith in a mystical savior. He knew he had to change the universe himself. And he would have struck down Dooku. Even at the cost of his life, even at the cost of the lives of everybody who just so happened to be in the blast radius. He understood that in war sometimes you had to sacrifice a handful to save many. But Mace had not spent time with them as they were kids. He did not teach them the Force. He did not guide them on their first steps on the path of the light. Yoda did. It's not that Mace didn't care, it's just that he was more willing to sacrifice everything. Yoda wasn't. Who was the better Jedi?

But it didn't matter now. It was already done, and there were more pressing matters to attend to. Jedi knights Maks Leem and Jai Maruk had died not long before the fight leaving behind their padawans Whie and Scout respectively. Something had to be done, and he, the Grandmaster, needed a bit of guidance.

He considered calling said help over comlink, but they were all Jedi, and he knew a simpler way. He easily located them in the Force, after all, they were in the Jedi temple as well, and he sent a subtle but unmistakable call through it. They would be here soon enough.

Jedi Masters Obi-Wan Kenobi and Shaak Ti were two of the greatest Jedi of the last generation of Padawans. Both were highly respected members of the Jedi council despite their relative youth and were masters of battlefield strategy, negotiation, and lightsaber combat, but most importantly, their understanding of the Force and clarity of judgement really set them out even amongst their peers. In fact, if he and Mace Windu were to suddenly die in the war, Yoda hoped that Ti and Kenobi would fill their places as leaders of the Jedi Order.

Shaak Ti's dueling ability was almost on par with that of Dooku himself, and her Force abilities exceeded in power, precision, and variety those of any Jedi in the Order barring himself and perhaps Mace. Like most Togrutas, she worked best when in a group setting and could be counted on to listen to others when making important decisions. However, she had a strong sense of individuality as well; the two traits combined to make her a natural leader. She would make a fine replacement as Grand Master should he perish.

Obi Wan Kenobi embodied the same traits and was in many ways the ideal Jedi master. He was one of the greatest battlefield specialists in the entire order, and yet he would much rather come to a peaceful compromise. He was one of the greatest negotiators, but would much rather be alone meditating. And he trained one of the greatest Jedi knights of the next generation, yet he would much rather learn from the deeds of others to improve himself. He wasn't the public face of the Order the same way his apprentice was, yet he embodied everything a Jedi could strive to be. Were he to take Mace's role, he would make an excellent consul to the Republic on all matters relating to war as well as in peace.

"Hello there," came a polite voice that interrupted Yoda's thoughts, "You summoned us, Master?"

Yoda nodded, "Your advice, I need. Take a seat."

Obi Wan looked a bit puzzled and took a seat across from Yoda with Shaak sitting next to him. "Does this by any chance relate to our ordeal on Vjun?"

Yoda nodded again. "Master Leem, Master Maruk, one with the Force, they are."

Both Kenobi and Ti nodded solemnly.

"Left behind their padawans, young Whie and Scout. Wisdom and guidance, they need."

Kenobi and Ti looked at each other. Shaak's face betrayed little emotion, but to Obi Wan, she appeared a bit nervous; whereas to her, Obi Wan showed a hint of excitement. "Master, I'm sure you know much more about the young ones than either of us."

"True. But your insight, I asked for."

"Very well. Do you, um, have any ideas?" he asked a bit caught off guard.

"Your honest first thoughts, I would like," he said narrowing his eyes.

Obi Wan nodded, thinking he knew where Yoda was going with this. "Well, I have been thinking, I have been without a padawan learner ever since Anakin became a knight. I could accept one," he said looking at the other masters.

"I agree," said Shaak breaking the silence, "I too have been without a padawan for some time. I would gladly accept one of the younglings as a student."

"After Anakin, I believe I can train padawan Esterhazy, after all I recall similar challenges to hers that I faced in my own apprenticeship to Master Qui Gon," he said with a brief, but distant look in his eye as if remembering a fond but painful memory.

"Master Kenobi would be perfect," commented Shaak, "and I could teach padawan Malreaux. What do you think Master Yoda?"

"No."

"Excuse me master?" asked Kenobi, confused.

"No. You are not the ones."

"Why not master?" asked Shaak politely.

"Master Kenobi, an obligation to young Skywalker, you have."

"But Anakin isn't my padawan anymore. It's been almost two years."

"But your duty remains. Young and reckless, he is. Guidance, he needs. Continue to be there, you must."

"Master Yoda, if I may be frank, he is not a padawan anymore. I will always be there for him, sure, but I do not need to watch him like a youngling. He is his own man, and a talented Jedi at that."

While it was not against the rules of the council to argue with the Grand Master, whenever he or Mace made a decision, everybody would usually go along with it without much protest. But then again, he should have expected as much. Kenobi was a bold one. "He is talented. But reckless, lacks restraint. Especially now, after Ahsoka left. Always difficult it is to lose a padawan. His old master, he needs. Help through this difficult time, it would be better that you do."

Obi Wan nodded, "I see master."

"Master Ti, ready for a padawan, you are not."

"It has been months since my last padawan died," she responded.

Yoda nodded. "And still doubt yourself, you do. Be at peace with yourself and those who are no longer here, you must be before you teach others to do the same."

"Yes master," she nodded, a touch of shame visible.

"But Master Yoda, if we are not the ones you had in mind, who are you thinking of?"

Yoda stared off into space, deep in thought. "Shaak Ti?"

"Yes?"

"Your old master. How is he?"

"Bodo Baas? He is doing well, I believe. After training Kazdan Paratus he devoted himself fulltime to his work as the Curator of Records. Last I've heard, he's been reviewing the histories to find some answers to the current state of the galaxy. He should still be here in the Jedi Temple, but I haven't had the chance to visit him as of yet."

Yoda nodded, "One of the oldest and wisest masters, he is. A suitable teacher for young Whie, do you think he could be?"

"He's a brilliant master, that's for sure, and has trained dozens in the last half-millennia, including the great teacher An'ya Kuro herself. However, I don't really know padawan Whie all that much. As his padawan, he'll probably do mostly archiving and maybe a few special assignments or research trips, as Master Baas is a little too old to be on the battlefield. A… safe role, but one that will see little action. If the young human is more of a bookworm though or less inclined to grand adventures, he should do fine."

"Oh I think so too," said Obi Wan, "From my limited experience with them both, I believe they would be able to work together quite nicely."

"It's agreed then," said Yoda, "But young Scout?"

"Hmm. She is very strong and dedicated to perfection in physical discipline. In many ways padawan Malraux's opposite," said Obi Wan, "Whomever her master will be should have similar traits."

"And her connection to the Force, weaker than most. What do you think?"

"It may be wise to apprentice her to another master that spends less time on the actual battlefield, at least until she develops her connection to the Force a bit more."

"How about Master Drallig?" asked Shaak, "As the battlemaster he would certainly be able to teach her about physical combat in the safety of the Jedi Temple."

They thought about it for a few seconds. "Master Drallig is in charge of training the new generation of younglings," Obi Wan pointed out, "I do not know if he would be able to take on a primary apprentice. What about Master Nejaa Halcyon? Anakin spoke highly of him after they served together on Praesitlyn."

"You have a point," said Shaak, "But doesn't Master Halcyon already have an apprentice?"

"You're right. Isn't he the master of that boy from the Almas Academy who has similar abilities? Master Yoda?"

Yoda nodded, "Padawan DaBoda, apprenticed to master Halcyon, he was."

"What about Master Eeth Koth?" asked Shaak.

"I do not believe he has had an apprentice since the battle of Geonosis," said Kenobi, "If he is willing I do not see any problems."

Shaak nodded, "And he served on the Council before stepping down, his martial sensibilities would benefit her greatly." She looked over at Yoda waiting for an answer.

"Masters Baas and Koth for the padawans, it is then," said Yoda with a nod of approval. "For your time and wisdom, I thank you."

"Very well Master Yoda," said Obi Wan rising from his seat and giving a respectful half-bow.

"May the Force be with you," said Shaak following suit.

"And with you both," said Yoda as he closed his eyes hoping to catch a glimpse of the will of the Force, but as usual nothing came.

* * *

 _ **Author's Note: I have decided to rework some chapters for editorial purposes. Most of the corrections are simply grammatical or syntactical, but I am moving several sections around. If you've read this fic before, don't worry, everything's the same, it's just being moved around to prevent the chapters from being too long.**_

 _ **If you have any suggestions, questions, or comments, please tell me in the review section, and thank you all for reading.**_

 _ **P.S. I'm experiencing some technical difficulties updating this, so I apologize if this looks like spam**_


	3. Ch 3: A Dark Rendezvous

Ch. 3: A Dark Rendezvous

"Uh, Scout? Do you really think we should be doing this? I mean, if someone catches-"

"Don't be a baby! I do this all the time and nobody has a problem with it."

"Did they ever _catch_ you?"

" _Catch_ is a strong word."

"You know what I mean!"

"Well, uh, technically, no."

"So _none_ of the masters know about you sneaking out?"

"I don't think so."

"And how many times have you done this?"

"Eh... once or twice."

He rolled his eyes. "Recently?"

"Possibly."

Whie Malreaux sighed. Not long after they had got back from the mission to Vjun, Scout had asked him if he wanted to meet up sometime. And he, seeing this as a great chance to get to know a new friend, readily agreed, even when she suggested meeting up long after dark, during the time most Jedi would be asleep or practicing nightly meditations. He hadn't actually thought too much about what they were going to do, but he had assumed that they would do something nice and quaint like sit and chat in the Room of a Thousand Fountains or possibly the Battle of Coruscant Memorial Garden. Little did he expect to be almost literally dragged to the lower levels of the temple and out into the streets beyond.

Whie looked over at her. Tallisibeth Enwandung-Esterhazy, better known by her nickname Scout, wore a large, concealing cloak that closer resembled a trench coat than a Jedi padawan robe. It's hood was up concealing her reddish hair, and in the dark shadows of Coruscant's night it was almost impossible to identify her as a human, let alone a fourteen year old human female Jedi padawan. Whie was one year younger, but about to turn fourteen as well. He had fair skin and dirty blond hair, a strand of which enclosed in the trademark padawan braid. Over his normal Jedi vestments, he wore a similar cloak, also supplied by Scout, that was a few sizes too big, making him look not all that dissimilar to the semi-legendary Fairfolk of Dantooine.

"Where did you get these ridiculous robes anyway?" he asked, "Mine kinda itches."

"What? You seriously expected me to give you my only comfortable one?"

"That doesn't answer my question."

"What do you want to know?" she asked. Even under her shadowy cowl he could see a smug smile.

"Where did you get these stupid robes?"

"Oh, I… found them."

"Found them?"

"Yep!"

"I find your answer to be vague and unconvincing."

"Fiiiiine," she huffed, "One time one of my regular robes ripped, so I went to one of the assistant droids who could fix it or get me a new set. While there I saw these bad boys and asked if I could take a pair. The droid didn't mind, so I got a snazzy new set of robes for free."

"That sounds an awfully lot like taking advantage of the system."

"Yes master. I'm deeply sorry master. I'll try to do better master."

"Oh shut up Scout," he said giving her a playful nudge.

He looked away from her and scanned the darkened streets. The rain had stopped leaving the streets damp and the air humid. There was a row of glow-lamps on the side of the street that would have provided a steady source of light, if not for the unfortunate fact that most of the lights were either missing or broke, and most of those still lit glowed with an orange sodium light rather than more clear white light. The result was enough light to see by, most of the time, not not nearly enough for either to let their guard down. The permacrete street was cracked and had many potholes, and from what he could see of the surrounding buildings, they were mostly cheap tenements or dilapidated shops, some of which had flashing glowsigns in the barred windows, but most of which were dark.

"Are you sure we're on the right track?" he asked.

"I think so."

"I have a bad feeling about this."

It was her turn to give him a shove. "Trust me."

"Whatever you say."

They continued to walk a few blocks before arriving at a stairwell which they climbed a few levels above. When they emerged they were on a similar, but much more well lit street. After another block of walking they arrived at a hovertrain station. Scout walked to the ticket machine and swiped a card without hesitation, charging the train fare to the Jedi Temple. Whie hesitated.

"Uh, Scout."

"What now?"

"Are you sure we should be doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"I mean, sneaking out of the temple is one thing, I mean, we're not younglings anymore, but charging the Temple? Isn't that, you know, kinda like stealing?"

"Look, the Temple has the money to buy literally ten billion hovertrain tickets. I don't see what the big deal is."

"Yeah, but it's the principle. We're taking from them when we don't need to."

"They give us debit card to cover 'anything we may need.'"

"Yeah, but they're meant to be used _on missions._ The fate of the galaxy isn't exactly at stake. We're spending taxpayer money to sneak out and ride a hovertrain to… Where are we even going?"

"Listen. If we don't spend the taxpayers money, where does it go?"

"Uh, it stays at the Temple, where it is needed."

"And yet, the Temple has a bajillion credits, right?"

"Um, from a certain point of view."

"And where does the money go when we spend it here?"

"Um, to the hovertrain company?"

"Exactly! The poor, underfunded Coruscant Public Transport Services that are required to operate hover trains at all hours of the night despite the midnight hours being a leech on profits especially when you consider how often repairs have to be made."

"Um, well…"

"Planetary governments pay us with the expectation that we will use the money to help people," she spread her arms wide and grinned, "And we are doing just that! We are giving back to the citizens of Coruscant by contributing to the wellbeing of the public transportation."

"I guess…"

"So how about you do your fair share?" she reached out and grabbed his hand, swiping his card through the machine. "There was that so hard?"

"But-but, what if they track the transaction?"

"Who cares? The poor chump in charge of finances has more pressing concerns than a grand total of one credit to the hovertrains. Now come on," she said, again taking his hand and pulling him along into the train car, while he tried to ignore the blast of lightning that coursed through his arm whenever their hands touched.

* * *

When they arrived, Scout led the way out of the train car and into the sprawling city. This level seemed to be similarly decrepit, but there was a bustling activity of life that the other sector lacked. Humans, Twi'leks, Gran, Weequay, Gand, and the occasional representative of a few other species milled around talking or drinking along the various buildings, which appeared to be mostly warehouses and storage facilities rather than residential provisions. Scout led the way being careful to avoid the direct attention of any of the city's denizens. In the distance, loud, abrasive music played, it's deep vibrations rumbling through the pavement; oddly enough, every now and then the music seemed to mix with the loud whirr of souped up speeder turbines.

"Where are we?" asked Whie over the droning din.

"Welcome to the Wicko district garbage pit!"

"Wait, you led me all the way out here to see a _garbage pit_?!"

"It's actually a lot more interesting than it sounds. Come on," she said, again taking his hand and pulling him forward. Walking forward, he could see a huge crowd milling around a massive permacrete parking lot in front of what looked like a colossal metal dam. Many large speeders were parked around the edges with open tailgates, their owners selling all sorts of memorabilia. Scout led the way to one that appeared to be selling carnival food. The service was fast and as such despite the crowd there was no line.

"Hey, do you take debit?" she asked peeking out from under the hood.

"Huh? Yea," said the large Affytechan vendor who happened to look like a large, fat palm tree, "Whudda it be?"

"We'll take a medium popcorn, pretzel, and two cups of dry Fizzbrew."

"Huh," huffed the Affytechan in confirmation and ducked inside.

"What in Malachor is a dry Fizzbrew?"

"Come on Whie, have you been out of the temple _at all_?"

"Um, well, not really."

"Fizzbrew is a type of common alcoholic drink. 'Dry' just means give me the alcohol free kind."

"But I didn't ask for anything."

"Well too bad."

The Affytechan came back and swiped her card and gave her the food. She took it and stuffed the closed popcorn bag and pretzel into a compartment in her robe, then handed one of the drinks to Whie. "Here, follow me," she said navigating through the crowd.

She led the way out of the throng of people until she got to the edge of the metal wall. She then led the way along its side further away from the commotion. The further they walked the darker it got. Instead of the massive floodlights like in front, this side corridor was lit only by smaller maintenance glowpanels. Whie reached out with the Force and thankfully detected nobody else. Eventually she reached a metal ladder and started climbing.

"Hey, where are you going?" asked Whie.

"Follow me. And be careful not to spill your drink."

Whie carefully climbed up after her. He looked up and saw her open up some type of metal hatch and climb through. He followed and found himself on the rim of a colossal canyon of trash and urban refuse. The rim on top of the Wicko district garbage pit was about a meter wide without any handles, but luckily it was fairly dry. The pit was open to the night air and a strong breeze blew from behind over the lip of the canyon to the river of trash dozens of meters below. The abundance of empty space and powerful night wind resulted in the stench diffusing into the city beyond; between the night air and the dispersing fumes, it really didn't smell that bad. He saw Scout sitting on the edge and crawled up next to her.

"Don't be scared. Take a seat," she said gesturing to the spot beside her. He put down his drink and swung his legs over, making sure the vast majority of his weight was safely on the rim. He scooted up a little closer and looked out. Large floodlights clearly illuminated the trash pit and he could barely hear the loud thumping music in the distance. In all the effect was oddly peaceful.

Whie looked down and saw massive shapes writhing in the decaying trash slurry. He recognized them as Coruscant garbage worms, massive creatures who were essential to the running of the garbage plant by digesting organic matter, biodegradable material, and even plastoids and some metals, breaking them down into simpler compounds, and leaving the leftover leaving metals and minerals to sink to the bottom where droids would recover them. He looked off into the distance and saw a tower which every few seconds would fire off a capsule into the upper atmosphere. It was a massive garbage gun. When all the refuse was collected and sorted, the larger or more dangerous pieces were collected and shot off into space using specialized garbage capsules. Repulsor fields and shield generators in the gun would shoot the debris up where tractor beams would fix them into orbit. From there, space stations would sort through the trash, with most being ferried to nearby planets or moons for storage or recycling, although the more dangerous materials were simply shot into Coruscant Prime.

"What are we doing here?" he asked at last.

"Isn't it amazing?"

"What? The trash?"

"No of course not. I just mean the city itself, outside the Temple. I like to come out here sometimes to get away from it all."

"What's wrong with the Temple?"

"Oh, nothing really, it's just kinda stuffy and disconnected from the real universe, or so it seems. So emotionless really, here, things are more alive. Just think, what would you be doing if you were back in the Temple?"

"Sleeping."

"Exactly. And the next day you would just get up and do your Jedi business day in and day out."

"You make it sound like some type of office job," he laughed a little, "I like it. It's nice and predictable."

"Yeah, well sometimes you need to change things up. Or at least I do."

"So every now and then you sneak out to… a garbage pit?"

"Is there any place more different than the Jedi Temple than a trash pit?"

"Good point," he agreed and looked out across the refuse. In the distance, he heard another loud whirr of speeder engines.

"Races about to start," said Scout who opened her robe compartments and pulled out the popcorn and pretzel. She broke off a piece of the pretzel and handed it to Whie who took it.

"Thanks," he said taking a bite. He looked down and saw a swoop bike race past, then another, then a whole pack, the noise of their engines building to a deafening roar until the pack speeded off into the distance, engines leaving behind a lasting, echoing cadence. "When it subsided he asked, "Why do people race in a garbage trench of all things."

"Why else? For adrenaline and cheap rewards."

"Yeah, but why here."

"Apparently racing in these things is common. After all, where else would you go racing? If you do it in the streets it may cause a traffic jam, and these provide more challenge anyway. Granted, they're both illegal, but at least here the racing officials can bribe the owners of the trash company and set up a pretty profitable racing business. Kinda hard to bribe a police droid."

"But isn't it, you know, kinda dangerous?"

"Of course. But it's fun. It actually used to be more dangerous. This place used to host lift-wing races, but then swoop racing made a return in popularity and it was bought out and expanded."

"What's lift-wing?"

"Some idiot would strap repulsor wings to their back and fly around trying to fish out scales from the worms."

"That sounds even stupider."

"Yeah, because it is. That sport had a pretty high mortality rate. Swoop racing is not exactly gravball, but it's better than that." She opened the popcorn and took some, then passes it to Whie. They both heard the distant whirr begin to grow steadily louder.

"Where exactly do they race to?" he asked.

"You see that big cannon over there?" She asked pointing to the towering gun in the distance, "They race around it and come flying back. It gets the most dangerous over there with the exhaust jets from the gun, but most make it. When they come back, the first to cross the starting line wins." The swoops came speeding back. This time, instead of a few leaders and a large pack, the racers were spread out into several small clusters each vying to be the best of that particular speed range. The racers all flew past and receded into the distance.

"So you're a fan of swoop racing?" asked Whie.

"Yeah, somewhat. I mainly come out here to simply get away, but I do pay attention to them."

"Who's winning?"

"An Asogian named Xelbree who calls himself the Muscave Manhunter. He has a pretty interesting backstory. Apparently he was a podracer from Tatooine who's pod was sabotaged by a Dug named Sebulba. He then became a swoop racer and ended up here. Apparently, he sees the Dug's actions as robbing him of victory and he became a fiercely competitive racer. Everyone wants to take him down."

"Where'd you hear this?"

"People talk. I listen." They continued to sit there, feet dangling over the edge, just enjoying each other's company, until the next race started. This time, Whie paid better attention. In the lead swoop, drove a strange being who had a long, extendable neck. Whie figured that his trick was to extend his neck to scan for distant obstacles, then lowering it to increase aerodynamicity. Therefore, he had the foreknowledge of a taller and more optically acute species while not sacrificing the speed of a smaller one.

"Is that him?" Whie asked over the roar.

"Yep. Maybe this will finally be the race someone gives him a solid beating."

Whie didn't know much about swoop racing, but he kind of doubted it. Sure enough, the Asogian led the pack and took first again. Scout yawned, "Come on, I think we should be getting back."

Whie checked a wrist chrono that he had brought along, and sure enough, he found that they had spent close to the entire night on their secret rendezvous. He stood up and stretched. He looked over and saw Scout simply throw the popcorn bag and drink cups into the trench- one convenient thing about using a trash river as a source of entertainment. They walked back down and made their way back to the hovertrain station, where they again donated to the wellbeing of Coruscant's public transport system.

* * *

They sat together towards the back of the hovertrain. The car was mostly empty with only a couple Aqualish and an Ithorian talking quietly in their native languages towards the front. He looked over at Scout. Her hood was down allowing her reddish hair to pool in it with a few strands resting across her face. She looked tired and about to doze off. He wanted to see her eyes, to tell her just how beautiful she was. No, can't think about that. He looked away before she could turn and see him awkwardly staring.

The train's radio played a song about fireflies, as if any Coruscant native had even seen the tiny glowing insects. He looked out the window at the passing city lights. Despite the darkness, the city was alive as ever. Streetlights and traffic signs carved intricate glowing graphs, while speeders with their red and white lights traveled along going from place to place like an electric current through a massive computer chip. In the distance, towering office buildings were lit with various with patterns of internal light and topped with blinking red spacecraft warning lights. The whole effect was soothing, hypnotic. Whie closed his eyes and opened himself up to the Living Force.

Whie could feel the pulsing currents of life on Coruscant, a steady vibration in the background, like a steady heartbeat echoed by the trillions of beings struggling to survive on the planet-wide city. In a sense, the echo of life, of struggle, of stryfe, was not that much different from that of a regular planetwide jungle, except this was a permacrete jungle of sentient beings all competing in the grandiose game of survival of the fittest. It was not like Vjun, well, not exactly. Vjun was a gaping wound in the Force, radiating with the ambient energy of the dark side. It was a place of death, a place where the echoing screams of the dead could still be heard. Coruscant was not like this. Coruscant was _alive_. And yet, under these currents of life, he could still feel the suffering of those who could not play the macabre game of survival of the fittest. Or even worse, those who could, but chose to stagnate and let themselves and others suffer.

It was not like this in the Jedi Temple. The Jedi Temple was the most powerful force nexus in the Republic, a place teeming with the Force in its purest form, shielded from the echos, stripped away, deaf to the suffering and pain of the planet beyond. What if there was no Jedi Temple? How could one seek answers in the Force if it was as chaotic as this? Could the Jedi continue to live surrounded by the roaring din of life on Coruscant? Or was it better to ignore it?

"Hey Whie. Whie!"

"Huh, what?" he asked, snapping back to the profane world.

"You looked all spaced, what happened?" asked Scout with a touch of concern.

"Oh, nothing."

"Are you sure?

"Well," he paused, unsure how to ask it, "do you feel it?"

"Feel it? Feel what? What am I supposed to feel?"

"The Force, all around us. Coruscant stripped bare of all the permacrete and metal and skyscrapers, just the steady background noise of the Force away from the temple."

"You're starting to sound a lot like The Dark Woman," she said referring to the famous Jedi Master who was known for her unusual teachings. "What's up with that?"

"It's just… the Force. Does it feel any different being outside of the Jedi Temple?"

"Oh come on. Of course it doesn't! Even away from all the other Jedi I'm still as weak as ever when it comes to all that," she said with a look of annoyance and possibly frustration flickering across her face.

His eyes fell and he looked down in shame. "Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"Look, Whie. I'm ok. Just tired, that's all. I shouldn't have taken offense to that, you didn't mean anything, it's just sometimes annoying. Always hearing about wonderful things Jedi feel through the Force and not being able to, I mean. But it's ok."

"Still, I don't want to make you uncomfortable. Maybe I shouldn't have come," he said the last part more to himself than to her.

"Whie, I like having you around. That's why I dragged you out here."

"You can say 'dragged' again," he mumbled with a slight smile returning.

She punched him lightly in the arm, and he flinched away a bit too visibly.

"Do you have _any_ muscle under there?"

"Hey, I train everyday!"

"Really? You're a complete stick."

"Ha ha."

They were silent for a little while, just enjoying the ride. After a while Scout said, "So what was it like?"

"What was what like?

"The Force or whatever you were talking about."

"Oh, nothing. It's just a bit different. Like, I can feel the mixing chaos of everyone here. In the Temple, it's calm, but here, I can feel everything, the anger, greed, lust, fear, turmoil- it's kinda nauseating."

Her face twisted into a slight frown of disgust. "Oh. In that case I'm actually glad to be ignorant of the Force. I don't want to feel that ever again."

"Again?"

"Oh, it's nothing."

"No, I'm serious Scout. What's the matter."

She looked away for a second. "It's just, I- I can still remember the effects of living in the crowded vice-ridden city. From back when I lived on the Gambler's World."

"The Gambler's World?"

"Vorzyd V, my homeworld. An appropriate name, and a wretched hive of scum and villainy as any other."

"Oh."

"Yeah. I was born into that and sometimes," she looked down for a second, "Sometimes I fear I may one day be back."

Whie was silent for a moment. "But wait, if brings back memories, why are we hiking through the slums of Coruscant?"

She gave him a look conflicted halfway between annoyance and and gratitude. "It's one thing to live in it, to feel it, to have to go through it everyday, it's another to be completely forget that such suffering exists. I don't know. Maybe I come out here every now and again to see it for that I don't, or maybe it's a part of me. That's why I like being out of the Temple. The Temple seems cut off from everything. There is no way we can heal the suffering of trillions, but at least we can be aware."

Whie thought about this for a few seconds. "Maybe we can."

"What?"

"Maybe there is a way to help everyone."

Scout made a rude noise. "You might as well try healing the galaxy and ending the war."

"Who knows? I mean maybe there is a way to to affect things on a grand scale. Maybe it's not that hard, maybe, if we are aware, we can do small acts that cause chain reactions to help many. Small acts at just the right place and time."

"You've definitely been drinking too much philosopher juice."

"Yeah, sorry if I'm making less sense than Master Yoda. When I stay up too late this happens."

"You know man, if you just _listen_ man you can hear the Force!" said Scout in a mocking imitation of how she imagined Whie would sound if he were on death sticks, "Just be at peace man, and you can heal the world, make it a better place."

"I do _not_ sound like that!"

"Yes Master Malreaux!" she said in a high pitched imitation of a youngling. He rolled his eyes. The train slowed to a halt. Scout stood up and pulled up her hood, carefully placing each strand back into it.

"We're here?" Whie asked rising and doing likewise.

"Yep!"

* * *

She led the way back through the murky streets to the Jedi Temple. They slowly ascended the steps to their secret backdoor entrance. They entered the temple slowly, looking around the darkened hallways. Walking quickly and wish an air of false confidence, they continued heading toward the dorms. While it was not against any rules to be out of the dorms at night, since the Jedi understood that some species and individuals had varying sleep schedules and needs, it was highly frowned upon unless whoever caught them was under the impression that they had a purpose to their night time excursions. Therefore, when sneaking around, Scout always emphasized confidence, as if she had every right in the galaxy to be doing what she was doing.

However, Scout was careful to stay a considerable distance ahead of Whie. She was better at talking and so if someone caught them, she would be the first line of defense, but more importantly, for some inexplicable reason, Jedi masters seemed to get especially annoyed when they caught a male and a female padawan sneaking around together, so by staying a good distance ahead it would be harder to convict them of any dark rendezvous. Scout stopped at the entranceway to the male dorms and looked around. Whie slowly walked over, alert.

"You know Scout, this was nice," he said.

"Thought you'd like it," she said smiling.

They looked at each other through the darkness. "We should do this again sometime," he said.

"Yeah," she whispered, leaning in slightly then stopping, "Well, goodnight Whie."

"'Night," he whispered back. He seemed like he wanted to say something else, but then turned and walked down the hallway. Scout watched him leave before turning around and heading towards her own dorm.


	4. Ch 4: The Mad Jedi

Ch. 4: The Mad Jedi

The permacrete sidewalk was wet and the predawn air mixed with the the smell of rain and swoop exhaust. A cloaked silhouette walked past a small green courtyard towards the towering complex beyond. The glass door slid open as it approached and the figure walked into a clean, well lit waiting room.

"Greetings, may I help you?" asked a young human female wearing a spotless hospital uniform.

"Yes. I am Jedi Master Luminara Unduli. I am here to see a patient," said the figure.

"One moment please," said the nurse as she checked a datapad, "Follow me."

They walked through the sterile hallways of the hospital. Luminara was uneasy, although she didn't show it. It seemed as if an aura of evil surrounded this hospital, a suppressed taint of the dark side, likely the combined agony of the ailments thousands if not millions of sentient beings who came in and out over the years- and the dying echoes of those who didn't. This was no place for a Jedi Padawan, especially not one as psychologically disturbed as hers. And yet it seemed for the best. After the bombing, the authorities had taken Barriss away from the temple and never returned her. She was supposed to rot in a prison cell for her crimes, but she had barely been in the cell for a month when strange things began to happen.

In the late and lonely hours of the night Barriss Offee could sometimes he heard mumbling to herself, occasionally shouting or cringing as if an invisible demon were threatening her. Occasionally she would start chanting a soft, unintelligible mantra. This wasn't cause for alarm, as several prisoners displayed symptoms of madness that would often go away. But they continued. A few days later, dishes and silverware from the kitchen was discovered to be disturbed, and every now and again loose objects in the guards offices were found to have moved. When the recording was played back it showed the objects seemingly moving on their own accord, spoons jumped, plates fell, invisible breezes blew papers around.

Then came the screams. Every so often, a prisoner would snap awake in the middle of the night letting loose a blood-curdling scream. This wasn't too unusual, but then it kept happening. Several times a night, prisoners would come awake screaming, waking up everyone in the vicinity. Sometimes multiple prisoners would wake up screaming at the same time. When questioned, they always reported no memory of the incident. A rumor started going around that the prison was haunted. Inmates and guards alike started feeling strange presences, as if something was scratching against their minds. If this occurred at night, it would often be accompanied by feeling of intense, primal fear, as if there was an invisible predator stalking the prison grounds.

And then the Jedi prisoner started screaming. In the middle of the night her eyes would roll back in her head and she would emit a loud, guttural scream like nails on a chalkboard. The guards around her would fall to the ground clutching their ears- and yet the noise was almost completely contained by the Jedi's plasteel cell. Her nails would dig into her forearms and face, blood dripping to the floor. The guards weapons would fly out of their prone hands and vibrate on the ground.

Jedi Sentinels were immediately called in. The next day someone finally decided to give the Jedi a psychological exam. The Jedi was escorted by the Sentinels to a secure room and she was interviewed. Throughout the interview the Jedi was nice and polite, as if everything was normal, and yet both the minder and the Sentinels detected _something_ was off. She was then taken to the medical ward where she was given a neurological scan.

The scan showed minor brain damage, as if done by some type of brain parasite. Examining the Jedi's service history, it was revealed that during the Second Battle of Geonosis she had been infected by some type of brain worm that had seriously impaired her judgement and seemed to hijack control over her own body. The damage didn't look severe so the medical records of others who were infected was brought in. They, again, showed no lasting damage or any type of insanity brought on by the experience. The doctors were baffled until a Pau'an Sentinel suggested they do a scan of brain activity, particularly when the Jedi was asleep.

She was scanned again and her mental activity was compared to that of a sleeping human guard and a human Sentinel, who had volunteered to undergo a similar scan. At first, the scans showed all three to have similar brain activity, then the monitor displaying the Jedi's brain activity lit up like a Life Day tree. The doctors identified the brain activity as being in line with that experienced by species who were naturally telepathic, except her brain seemed to be going in maximum overdrive. Some wanted to awaken her, but others feared it would damage the readings or more importantly her own mind to interrupt it.

Then things got really weird. The brain activity of the Sentinel and the guard started to mirror the Jedi's. They did not match her in intensity, but the pulses of light traveling across the brain displays displayed fearful symmetry. Then they started screaming. The doctors felt a searing knife of pain and the screams echoed in their skulls. It was the Pau'an Sentinel who was able to fight off the attack and shield the others from the mental onslaught until a few minutes later it subsided. Immediately after, the Sentinel and guard woke up screaming and were taken out of the scanning rig while the Jedi continued to sleep peacefully, her brain waves seemingly normal.

The Sentinels reported back to the Jedi Council who were unable to legally take her back at the moment so they decided to send her to a nearby mental health institution located in the psychiatric wing of the Grand Republic Medical Facility which was often mistakenly called the Chancellor Palpatine Surgical Reconstruction Center after the surgical reconstruction facilities received a generous donation from the Chancellor to assist in expanding their facilities in order to allow them to service wounded clone troopers and other personnel from the military training facilities located on Centax-1 and Vandor-3; Barriss had stayed there for about a month.

This was the first time Luminara had been able to get away from the Outer Rim sieges and make her way as far into the interior as Coruscant to visit her former padawan since Barriss had been condemned. Walking through the sterile corridors, she took a breath and prepared to meet Barriss. The nurse led them onward until they reached a special section of the psychiatric ward that had been modified to contain a Jedi.

"Thank you," she said to the nurse.

"You're welcome," she said, "Need anything else?"

"No, I'm fine."

The nurse nodded and walked away. Luminara could tell that she was uncomfortable coming to this section of the hospital. Apparently rumors must have spread of the insane Jedi. She walked forward through the doors. Inside was a smaller waiting room, which had a nice view of the pink predawn sky. At the far end, two Sentinels guarded another door. Luminara nodded to them and they stepped aside.

Luminara opened the door. Inside was a room much like the waiting room. It had a nice view that let the early morning light illuminate the padded floor, small cot in the corner, and the young girl in a white nightgown who sat cross legged, her long black hair flowing down to her mid back which faced Luminara. She stepped in and closed the door.

"Barriss."

The girl didn't move.

"Barriss."

The young woman slowly stood up but didn't turn around. Luminara walked up to her.

"Barriss."

Barriss slowly turned around. Luminara could see the effects of months in solitary confinement etched into body and soul. Her long slender arms and hollow cheeks showed long, but faded scars. Her olive skin tone had faded to a sickly pale yellow. She could tell that under the thin nightgown Barriss had lost much of the muscle mass that Jedi inevitably gained from the war and constant training. But most of all, she could see her eyes. Barriss's eyes had once been warm and friendly, but now were dull and distant.

Barriss slowly reached out and touched Luminara, almost as if she was seeing a ghost. The next second they held each other in an embrace and for once they could forget what had happened, the horrible, horrible months of being apart and left to face their demons alone. Silent tears streaked down their faces. They held each other for a long time. When they moved apart, they could see the reddish-orange light of Coruscant Prime as it peeked over the horizon, shedding the first rays of dawn over the city. Barriss's eyes shone with its fire.

"Master…" she whispered, "Why have you come?"

"If I could have come sooner I swear by the Force I would have, Barriss."

"You want to tell me something. You were sent here."

"How did you-"

"What is it Master? What do you want to tell me?"

"Barriss… we can go."

She was silent a moment, then whispered, "What?"

"Barriss. The Council is willing to look into the circumstances and reconsider judgement. They could even be willing to begin rehabilitation."

"No!" she shouted more violently that Luminara anticipated, "No… I can't."

"Nobody is beyond redemption Barriss. War does terrible things to Jedi. Recall the ancient legends about Ulic Qel-Droma and Revan; if they found the light in the end anyone can."

"I don't care about one in a billion legends from millennia ago. They didn't even have a choice in the matter and were forced to," she looked up, directly at Luminara, "And the Council would never let that happen today. Not after what happened."

"You had suffered extensive brain damage on Geonosis and your mental state was further disrupted by being opened to the full totality of the Force _twice_! You were not in the best mental state when you made those choices and had those visions, and the council understands it."

"Don't speak to me like the doctors do! I am not a droid who experiences programming disruptions! I am a sentient being who has the free agency to make choices. I am responsible for those choices."

"But Barriss! The visions you were having and the Sith Holocron-"

"No. I had those visions. They did not drive me insane, but made me sane. They showed me the violence, the death, the wounds we have inflicted upon the Galaxy- upon so many innocents. I saw the Jedi temple burning, our Order falling, the Republic dying, the Galaxy plunged into darkness, and the cycle continuing. I saw the _death of the Force_ itself." She clenched her teeth together then relaxed them, "But that is no excuse for what I did. The Holocron had answers, but I should have known what I was getting into."

"You couldn't have-"

"I am not a youngling or wayward padawan. I was a _Jedi Knight_. I am accountable for my actions and heard the legends, knew the dangers. But I did it anyway. I studied the forbidden knowledge and my eyes were opened. I cannot go back. And… Even if I didn't, even if I didn't do those terrible things, I still don't think I would want to go back. I don't think I can live knowing the terrible things we are doing and could do."

Luminara looked down for a moment, then another. "I was afraid you would say that," she said at last, "But we have talked to the doctors and Republic law enforcement and have decided that you cannot stay here."

"But- where will I go?"

"We arranged that if you were to reject our offer, you would be sent to a more thorough mental help facility until you are ready. You will be sent to the planet Bedlam. There is an advanced institution there that should be able to help you."

Barriss looked down, then shrugged, "Whatever they say is best for me. I have no love for this place."

"But Barriss, I beg you to reconsider my offer. You could stay with us. The Jedi are a _family_."

She shook her head sadly, "That is exactly why I cannot go back."

Luminara nodded, "I respect your decision." Reaching out, they embraced once again.

* * *

 _ **Author's Note: This story is supposed to connect and tie up many plots from many stories. In fact, there are so many that I do not think that this is a specific continuation of one over the other. Some of the major plots are:**_

 _ **-The Clone Wars: This story will attempt to resolve Barriss Offee's arc. It will also be a continuation of the Yoda arc.**_

 _ **-Medstar: Barriss's arc ties into her other appearances, specifically in the Medstar books.**_

 _ **-Yoda: Dark Rendezvous: The characters Scout and Whie are from here.**_

 _ **-Shatterpoint: After the events of Shatterpoint, the character of Depa Billaba was never used again and her own story was left unresolved.**_

 _ **You do not have to have read the books to understand the story, but I highly recommend them as they are some of the best star wars novels ever. If you haven't, just treat their characters and plot points as original parts of the story. Also, I will be including many references to other parts of the star wars universe. Think of these references as like Easter eggs. But on the whole, the only absolutely necessary background material is The Clone Wars.**_


	5. Ch 5: The Future Kiss

Ch. 4: The Future Kiss

Stifling a yawn, Whie Malreaux made his way towards the temple dining hall. He estimated that he had only slept for three hours at most, for after parting ways with Scout he had fallen asleep almost instantly only to awaken a few hours later after an unusual dream. He had awoken long before morning and stayed awake for almost an hour meditating, trying to evaluate his feelings and keep his emotions in check. Something about the nighttime trip stirred up a variety of feelings within him, many of which he was ill prepared to deal with. On his last mission, he grew close to Scout, very close. Closer than he had been with any other padawan in fact. Whie was an introvert. He prefered to spend his time studying or meditating rather than wasting time with other apprentices, and yet he could not deny that he wanted to spend time with Scout. He didn't know why, but he feared it was something bordering dangerously close to a type of intimate admiration. Especially after the dream he had…

Whie shook his head. He could not think of that dream. But what if it was destined to come true? He had experiences of precognitive dreams in the past which seemed to come true. Master Yoda said that the future was always in motion, but how could he avoid falling into determinism when his force visions repeatedly came true? He only remembered a small snippet of the dream, but it was incredibly vivid and lifelike.

In his dream, it was nighttime- or he was in a cave, he could not tell for it was dark. It was so dark that he could not see any more than a few feet in either direction. In his hand he held some type of illumination device, most likely a glowlamp, but the glowlamp was dim and getting dimmer. Scout stood in front of him, her face was in shadow but he could still recognize her. Her emerald eyes seemed to shine in the darkness, and when he looked down he saw that they were holding hands. In his dream, he seemed to have no control. He felt as if his body belonged to a different person entirely, and his consciousness was just a passenger along for the ride. And yet, he could clearly and distinctly perceive the sense of physical contact when their hands touched. The light seemed to fade even more and his dream self moved forward. Scout seemed to close her eyes and lean in. As the light died, he could taste her lips against his.

He had awoken with a start in a cold sweat. He immediately threw off his bedsheets and sat up. Heis heart was pounding, his breath heavy. He spent the next minute trying to calm himself down, sitting cross legged on his bed trying to enter into a state of meditation. This was not the first dream about Scout that he had. Before going on his last mission, the disastrous trip to Vjun which had resulted in the deaths of both of their masters, he had dreamt about Scout. In that dream, they were in an old chateau, facing each other. He was tempted to kiss her, so tempted, and the dream ended before he saw what happened. When they finally reached Vjun, the events of his dream played out before his eyes. In that moment, they had done the right thing. They did not kiss. Instead, they had put the good of their mission before their own personal feelings. Why then was this dream different?

This was the question that ran through Whie's mind as he made his way to the dining room. Why was this dream so different? They had decided before to put aside their budding feelings for each other before, so then why would he give into them in the future? Perhaps this was only one possible future, and yet, his other vision had come true with complete accuracy. But the future could not be determined, for such a thing would be a contradiction. Wouldn't it be? Wasn't the future supposed to be _always_ in motion? Or was it determined and all free will but an illusion?

Whie knew the Jedi code and the rules of conduct that came along with it. The rule against attachments was one of the most heavily stressed, or at least it seemed like so. Whie remembered his master giving him what was known to padawans as 'The Talk.' For Jedi, raising teenage padawans was always a challenge, for in teenagers, the masters could see their own childhood, their own awkwardness, their own struggles with not only their bodily hormones but with the knowledge and responsibility that came along with age made manifest. These formative years helped to shape not only padawans to be the noble Jedi knights they aspired to be as younglings, but the masters as well. The masters were forced to look into a mirror, to lecture themselves on the virtues of being a jedi, and ask of the two, which one really embodied these virtues. If it was the master, how could the master give the apprentice the knowledge that came only with a lifetime of experience? And if it was the apprentice, how could the master lecture the apprentice but not follow these very codes?

The Talk was one of the most crucial points. Whie remembered how his master Maks Leem had told him, in no uncertain terms, that attachments were forbidden, especially attachments of love. There were many, many reasons for this. Jedi needed to remain calm and in tune with the force, and love, being one of the most powerful if not _the_ most powerful emotion, was seen as an obstacle to true mastery. Worse still, love was known to drive sentient beings to do terrible things. It is these powerful emotions and temptations that could lead Jedi to the dark side.

Why would Whie risk it? Why would Scout want to risk it? To be fair, a simple kiss wouldn't be _too_ bad. After all, Whie was observant; he knew that oftentimes Jedi masters knew all about their padawans feelings and anxieties and were willing to turn a blind eye to it as long as it didn't go too far under the assumption that it was just a bunch of innocent barely-teen emotions that their padawans would grow out of. But if these feelings were truly dangerous, why even risk it?

Whie reached the dining hall. He picked up a bowl and spoon then walked over to the cereal dispenser, filling it up with Raisin Bran. He poured some Bantha milk and took a seat by the window. Outside, the morning sun was peeking over the cityscape. Whie put down his food and walked back to grab a cup of tea. Nothing like a good cup of tea to clear the mind.

Whie thought back to his experience the other day of the force outside the Temple. The hatred, the lust, the fear of everyday sentient beings. _Non-Jedi_ sentient beings. He had felt the life pulse if the masses, those who were subjected to their passions, enslaved by them, all because they did not have the strength to put virtue, introspection, and duty above all else. Instead, they wallow in their greed and vices, inflicting it upon others. All because they are just too _stupid_ to follow any type of purpose higher than their immediate impulses. _That_ is what it is like to not be a Jedi, to not live up to these expectations placed before him. Whie wanted nothing to do with it. If Whie neglected but one tenet of the law, what would stop him from breaking every rule in the book? No! He would deserve every punishment and more for taking his mind off of his duty and selling himself to violent and evil passions. But then what could he do about these feelings? Maybe it would be best to avoid Scout altogether…

"Good morning Whie," came a cheerful, all too familiar voice. He looked up to see Scout pull up a seat and sit across from him, she had a cup of coffee (or caf, he couldn't tell which) and a bowl of Lucky Charms. "So," she said, "How'd you sleep? You look exhausted."

He felt as if he were back in the dream. Her eyes, their hands touching, the taste of her lips, _oh yes_ he thought, _oh no! No!_ He fought back the memory of the dream, "I just didn't sleep too good, that's all."

"Bad dream?" she asked.

 _Dammit!_ "It was nothing, I'm fine, what about you?"

"Eh, could be better. Tired as well."

"Well whose idea was it to sneak out of the temple?" he said sarcastically.

"Don't pretend you didn't have a good time."

"Well, I mean, yeah, it was fun."

"Seriously though, maybe we can do something else sometime?"

"Um, well, like what?"

"I don't know," she said, "I'll think of something."

"Well, I guess it all depends on what the Jedi Council will decide to do about our training."

That was enough to take the ions out of her thrusters. She remembered that they still had a very uncertain future. Whie saw her barely detectable emotional change. He remembered that, a little over a week ago, his master, Maks Leem, was still alive. _Things change so fast,_ he thought.

"Yeah," she said, a little put down, "Hopefully."

Before Whie could respond, they were interrupted by a friendly voice, "Hello there." They turned to see Jedi Master Obi Wan Kenobi standing there.

"G-G-General Kenobi?" said Whie, startled. Sure enough, it was The Negotiator himself. Whie would often watch victory holos of famous Jedi in admiration, hoping that one day he could join them. Of all the Jedi, Obi Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker were the most widely publicized. Despite the general's humility, every youngling knew about his exploits on the battlefield from the sands of Geonosis and Ord Cestus to the skies of Skye, from the oceans of Kamino to the mud of Jabiim; Obi Wan Kenobi had seen it all.

Obi Wan smiles, "That is I, although since I am not on a battlefield at the moment, I'd rather not be referred to as 'general.'"

"My mistake master."

"That is quite alright Whie. I just wanted to let you and Tallisibeth know that the Council requests your presence in exactly one hour's time."

"Yes master," they said in unison.

"Good. I will see you two then," he said as he walked away before they could ask for any details.

"What do you think that was about?" asked Scout.

"I'm not sure. I don't know why the council would want to see us," he said, but secretly he suspected it had something to do with the dreams about Scout he had been having. _What if they want to kick us out of the Order?_ He thought in a panic.

"I guess we'll see when we get there," said Scout who was obviously a lot more calm than he was.

Whie stirred his cereal, but found that he was not hungry.

* * *

Scout and Whie walked slowly towards the Jedi council chamber. After breakfast, they had spent the rest of the hour just talking, waiting for their turn to see the Council. At first, Whie wanted the meeting to come as soon as possible, but now, he dreaded it. _What if they found out about my feelings? Will they expel me from the Order? But surely what I did was not too bad, after all, I haven't even broken any rule… yet._

He looked over at Scout and saw that she appeared to be much calmer about the imminent meeting, and yet she did not say a word. They entered the Jedi Council room. Seated at the head of the room was Yoda, who looked not all dissimilar to a strange swamp creature despite his prominent reputation as grandmaster of the Jedi Order. By his side sat the hologram of Mace Windu, even though he was on the other side of the Galaxy, they could still make out his cold, dark eyes as he watched them enter. Seated to the left and right respectively were Obi Wan Kenobi and Shaak Ti. The only other master present in the flesh was Agen Kolar, who sat beside the hologram of Mace. The holograms of Ki Adi Mundi and Oppo Rancisis sat next to each other between Kolar and Ti. The two padawans gave a short bow, all anxieties replaced by suspension in the presence of the Council.

"Good morning masters," said Scout.

"And to you, Padawan Esterhazy," said Yoda, "This meeting, a formality, it is." The padawans stared, not understanding.

"The council has decided upon your new masters," said Obi Wan Kenobi, "I could have simply told you, but such important information deserves an audience."

Scout and Whie looked at each other in excitement, the glance earned them a small chuckle from Yoda. The two padawans simply nodded, ready to hear the news.

"Tallisibeth Enwandung-Esterhazy," began Master Windu, "You have been assigned to Master Eeth Koth."

Scout's heart began palpitating. Eeth Koth was a famous Jedi who had once served on the Council. To serve under such a Jedi was an honor. She had always assumed that her weakened connection to the force would result in her expulsion from the order or an assignment to the AgriCorps, but to not only get a third master but one of such renowned skill was more than she had hoped for. She simply nodded her head rapidly, almost not believing what she heard. "T-thank you masters."

"Whie Malreaux," said Windu, "You have been assigned to Master Bodo Baas. You are both dismissed."

Whie nodded, "Yes masters, thank you masters." Whie did not know who this 'Bodo Baas' was, but the name did seem to ring a distant bell.

"Um, one more thing," asked Scout, "Where can I find Master Koth?"

"He should still be in the central training room waiting for you," said Shaak Ti, "Master Baas should be in the archives where he always is." The padawans nodded and thanked the masters, then walked out of the council chamber. When the doors closed and they god a good distance away, Scout whooped with delight.

"I can't believe it!" she exclaimed, "Of all the Jedi, I got assigned to Master Koth! I mean, I don't know much about him, but he was on the Council and everything! I was afraid I would get sent to the AgriCorps, but this is great! What about you?"

"Um, well, yeah I'm excited too. I don't know anything about Master Baas though."

"Wait, I thought it was your job to know everything about the Jedi?" she joked.

"I mean, the name sounds familiar, but I can't recall anything."

"Huh, well, I guess you'll see when you get there," she said.

"I guess."

"Hey, are you okay? You seem kinda let down."

"Nah, I'm fine."

"You say so. Anyway, if you're free tonight want to hang out and talk about how it goes? Maybe get dinner together?"

Almost without conscious thought he answered, "I'd love to, where should I meet you?"

"If you're free around seven I should be in the dining room."

"Sure, I'll come by around then if I can make it, see you then."

"See ya," she said as she ran off towards the training room.

Whie watched her go. He felt almost deflated with relief over being assigned to a new master, but the problem of his feelings still remained. He knew he really should be staying away from Scout. He could not under any circumstances let a bunch of emotions and dreams drive him crazy. He was above that. He was not one of the ignorant masses of ordinary sentients driven whichever way their emotions took them like dead leaves in wind. No, he was a Jedi.

 _Wait, that's it!_ He thought, _I am a Jedi!_ Jedi do not fret over their wayward emotions, they deny that they exist altogether! All he had to do was to deny that he could ever succumb to such emotions and they would eventually go away. There was nothing wrong with being friends, if there was no way that he could possibly be affected by such feelings because they didn't exist! Maybe he could have the best of both worlds, being a perfect Jedi and friends with Scout. He smiled at the revelation and he made his way to the archives.

* * *

The two Jedi masters stood barefoot on the padded floor of the training area. They faced each other, standing frozen like a statue, green lightsabers humming. A ring of younglings and padawans stood on the edges of the padded floor watching them. One was a human, large and strong, but up in age: Cin Drallig, the Jedi Battlemaster. The other, a brown-skinned Zabrak who had a similar build, but a bit younger and still retaining the impressive strength and stamina his species was known for: Eeth Koth, former Jedi Council member. The two battlefield titans stood facing each other. Drallig's blade was held in the Shien opening stance, while Koth's was held out in front like a rapier blade, a clear mark of a Makashi duelist.

In a heartbeat, Drallig sprang into action. He charged the Zabrak master with a fury and randomness completely unforeseen thanks to his defensive opening stance. Koth fell back, lightsaber whirling defensively. As he gave ground, he was forced to fall back into a purely defensive sequence. His blade spun in a solid Soresu defense. The green lightsabers clashed, but Drallig could not pierce Koth's guard.

Instead, he switched to a more nuanced fighting style. Instead of trying to bypass his opponent's defenses with fast, random strikes, he switched to targeting any small gaps or weaknesses in his technique with clean, precise thrusts. This caused the Zabrak to give ground almost to the edge of the padded floor. He then switched back to his opening form, mirroring the efficient strikes of his opponent.

They fought back and forth like this for several seconds, but after a while it became apparent that the Zabrak was stronger. He did not have a considerable advantage, but for every strike, every blade deflected, Koth was simply able to bear the attack and twist his opponent's blade out of the way more efficiently. He leveraged this strength to disrupt his opponent's sequences, regaining ground.

Then, faster than the eye could see, Drallig changed up his fighting style yet again. He launched at his foe with an aggressive, acrobatic flurry, again pushing his opponent to the edge of the mat. Koth fell into pure defense once again. If only he could give more ground, he could weather the series of blows and hopefully tire out his older opponent. Since that option was out, he tried a more risky gambit. When his opponent left an opening, Koth unleashed a massive force push.

Drallig anticipated it throwing up a barrier to counter it, but it was enough to give Koth the opening he needed. He switched to a more balanced form. As Drallig continued his assault, Koth was able to use the force to take advantage of the time in between his foe's strikes whenever he could. Drallig threw up a barrier every time, but it was disrupting and it allowed the Zabrak to gain even more ground. Drallig knew he could not keep this up. Instead he switched back to a more grounded form so that he could counter Koth's force attacks more easily while he used a series of fights and thrusts to take advantage of his opponent's less focused swordplay.

Koth responded in kind and they continued to fence for the next minute. Koth's strength was offset by Drallig constantly changing up his attacks, mixing and matching sequences from all fighting forms into one eloquent barrage. The blows of each rained fast as lightning, but it was clear the older human was tiring. Koth pressed the advantage. With a strong series of randomized and aggressive strikes unforeseen by his previous defensive stance, the Jedi Battlemaster was driven back until, at last, Koth's blade contacted his shoulder. If it was a real duel, the lightsaber would have sliced straight through, but since they were using practice sabers, it just left a small burn.

"Oi mate, gotcha!" announced Koth as he deactivated his lightsaber. He then turned around to see Scout staring at him, mouth hung open in awe, "So lass, I suppose you're my new padawan?"

* * *

Whie walked into the archives looking for Master Baas. Whie liked to spend as much time as possible looking over the annals of Jedi history, so he naturally spent a lot of time lost among the holobooks and even more ancient bound records. He knew every inch of the library, or so he thought, and yet he had no idea where this 'Bodo Baas' was. Maybe the Chief Librarian Jocasta Nu would know of his whereabouts. He eventually found her sitting by the bust of the former Jedi Master Dooku.

"Excuse me master?" asked Whie.

"Ah, Whie Malreaux, a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one, can I help you with something?"

"Yes please. I am looking for a Jedi Master named 'Bodo Baas.' I was told I could find him in the archives, but I can't. Perhaps he is not real? Maybe the name is wrong."

"Just because you cannot find him in the archives does not mean he doesn't exist. I learned that the hard way," she seemed to grumble the last part, "Anyway his office is not usually marked. Follow me." She led him through the library towards the holocron vault. She walked past it to a nearby bookshelf on the wall. However, one of the books glowed red instead of the usual blue. She pulled the red book and the bookcase slid aside as if on some type of automatic gate. Whie just stared in shock. Master Nu vanished into the darkened hole for a few seconds before coming out.

"He does not seem to be here. Maybe he went out to get breakfast. Poor guy, he doesn't eat much." She put away the book and the shelf slid back into place. "Just wait here for him."

"But, wait, why is his office hidden?"

"I'm sure he'll tell you all about it," she said dismissing his question, "Are you his new padawan?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"You're one fortunate lad. He was not my master but I studied under his tutelage when I left the Council to pursue my calling of being a librarian. Anyway, may the force be with you," she said as she walked away before Whie could ask any more questions.  
Whie continued to sit there for several minutes. _This is getting more and more bizarre by the second_ he thought. Perhaps the Council was simply playing some type of elaborate prank on him. That was a distinct possibility. Eventually he picked up a nearby holobook and started flipping through it. After a few minutes, he almost dropped it in shock when he heard a low, gruff voice.

"Are you looking for something," it asked. Whie looked up, and to his horror in front of him stood a being that looked like some type of hideous combination of a horseshoe crab and a cockroach. It had long armored limbs that ended in some type of claw, and it bent over like some type of hunchback. Its face had what looked like a snout covered in tiny tentacles and two large, black eyes.

"Um, well, I'm looking for a Jedi master."

"Huh? A Jedi master?" it said, its voice sounding like that of an old man choking on gravel, "Well you've come to the right place! Look around you, you're in the Jedi temple on Coruscant! Take a pick!" The creature then started wheezing, a sound that more closely resembled a dying frog than a human laugh.

Whie considered finding someone else, whoever this strange Jedi was he didn't seem to want to be bothered. "Well, the Jedi I'm looking for is named Bodo Baas. Do you know him?"

The creature stared at him for a few seconds. Whie felt like he'd just asked the stupidest possible question. Maybe the creature would just ignore him. At last it said, "Well of course I know him, he's me!"


	6. Ch 6: Set in Motion

Ch. 6: Set in Motion

After Scout and Whie departed, the Council got to discussing more pressing matters. The bantha in the room this time was the reawakening of Depa Billaba.

"It seems that she doesn't remember anything," said Shaak Ti. "I could detect no sense of dishonestly or deceitful intent either."

Yoda slowly nodded while the hologram of Mace Windu watched, still as a statue. The subject of the reawakened Depa Billaba was a particularly thorny mess. In the years leading up to the Clone Wars, Depa was a model Jedi master considered to be one of the most enlightened Jedi in the entire order. She was the youngest Jedi master appointed to the council, at least since the Ruusan Reformation. So her fall was felt like a lightsaber blade slicing through the Council's midsection. Her betrayal had been particularly sorrowful as it happened only months after the reemergence of the former master Dooku as a Sith Lord and the defection of Sora Bulq, another highly respected Jedi master, to his side. However, unlike Dooku or Bulq who actively waged war against the Jedi Order, the circumstances surrounding Billaba's fall were rather unique.

It started with a mission to the planet Haruun Kal, a planet where survival of the fittest seemed to be working on overdrive. She was sent there to fight with the local force sensitive natives against the separatist invasion, the idea being if any Jedi could resist the power of the dark side, she could. However, the Council had severely underestimated the power of the Jungle. On Haruun Kal, her Jedi training was eaten away, and she committed more and more violent atrocities in the name of absolute victory. Fully consumed by the Jungle, she was prepared to wage endless war, and would have had it not been for the intervention of her former master Mace Windu. Mace had traveled to Haruun Kal to bring her to justice. The resulting conflict ended with Depa falling into a coma and being taken back to Coruscant. Her unconscious state was perhaps for the best as she would have been tried for crimes against civilization had she been awake.

The Council decided not to talk about the embarrassing incident. The information regarding the mission to Haruun Kal was made public only in broad strokes-even more broad than the details released of most military operations. It was not censorship, or at least not in the strictest sense of the word, rather the Council simply felt that the mission was an incident best not talked about, however they all knew that if the information was made public, citizens would lose even more faith in the ability of the Jedi to protect the Republic.

Rumors had sprang up that Depa had fallen into a coma due to the actions of General Grievous. The truth was that Grievous had gone to Haruun Kal and engaged Depa in a brief lightsaber duel. The problem was that this duel had taken place a month before Mace had gone to Haruun Kal after her. Luckily for the Council, few appeared to have the time to worry about this discrepancy and look into it.

Yoda and Mace looked at each other. Mace decided that since Depa was his former padawan and he was the one who brought her in, he should explain. "That is because I implanted false memories in her," said Mace.

Ki Adi Mundi, who usually kept his emotions in check, could not help but involuntarily let out a short gasp. "What do you mean?"

Mace paused for a second before continuing. "After we returned from Haruun Kal, Depa's mind was damaged almost beyond repair. As you know, is possible to use the Force to influence one's mind and even to repair it. Masters Yoda and Rancisis, who were the most skilled telepaths available, helped me to reach into her mind and set her subconscious on the course of healing itself. But to start, first we had to suppress the memories of what had happened for that they would not keep cycling causing endless nightmares which could have damaged her sanity beyond repair."

He looked around at the Jedi gathered. So far, this wasn't too controversial. Erasing memories was, by its very nature, very intrusive and skirting dangerously close to the dark side, however the ability to do so was still occasionally taught. Erasing particularly traumatic memories with the intention of healing a mind or protecting it from painful memories was usually seen as an unfortunate necessity. However, Mace knew that what he had done next could be seen as crossing the line.

"Depa, she… she fell to the dark side, but the dark side was not her life. The Jungle does not represent the dark side in the same way that the Sith represent it. The Jungle, well, it cannot be described, but the closest comparison I can make is that feeling you get in the middle of a battlefield. I know all of you have felt moments like this: you are surrounded, on all sides by enemy forces. Beams of energy and shards of metal are flying everywhere. Just one would be enough to take your life. So you give into the Force, you let it guide you and fill you until you are not there anymore, you are completely at its mercy.

"The Jungle is like this, except, instead of being at peace, the eye of the storm, you are the storm. Instead of giving yourself over to the Force, you give yourself over to your inner animal. You fight with passion, instead of serenity, but in the end you retain your identity. I fought both Sora Bulq and Depa Billaba. The difference is that Sora was too far gone. He sought to fight and kill, for the exhilaration of the dark side. Depa used the dark side much like we use the Force, that is for what we believe to be the greater good. She was able to harness that ferocity and be consumed by it without living for it alone. How long until Depa was wholly gone, I cannot say, but in all, I believed that she still had a chance.

"To erase the entire time she spent on Haruun Kal would have been too much, so instead, I buried those memories as deep as I could. But I needed something to take the place of those memories for that the gap would not be obvious. So I replaced them with a series of artificial images and memories. The last thing we need is another dark Jedi. I did not do this thinking that things would go back to the way they were before Haruun Kal, but at least now she has a chance of being saved from the dark side."

An awkward silence followed until at last Obi-Wan decided to break it. "Did anyone else know about this?"

"Yes," he said calmly, "As I said, Yoda and Rancisis were there. I did not tell anybody else, and it would be better to keep this information hidden."

There was another pause, this time Shaak spoke up. "The question that remains is what do we do now?"

This time Mace stayed silent. It was Rancisis who spoke next. "We should see how she recovers from this mental surgery. It would be best if she stays in a controlled environment like the Jedi Temple under close supervision while somebody looks into the legal repercussions of her crimes, but, if she is to be tried, it would be best to wait and see how her mind recovers first."

"Speak to the Chancellor, I will," said Yoda. " If there are no more concerns, dismissed, this meeting is."

"I never thought I'd learn the basics of Teras Kasi on my first day! Well, technically all we went over were simple poses and breathing techniques, and I suppose I did have some previous experience with the basic techniques from my previous masters, but still! He's a master of Teras Kasi and on my very first day we went over all of it! He said that due to the fact that all my force abilities all suck except for precognition that Teras Kasi, a martial art designed for non force sensitives to combat Jedi, would be great! Anyway, how was your first day under master, what's his face, Baas?"

Scout and Whie sat across from each other in the Jedi temple dining hall. After a long day they had been able to escape from their new masters to have dinner together. The sun was down and Whie felt tired not only from what happened the previous night, but from the events of the day itself. He looked down into his cup of hot chocolate and gave it an exhausted stirr.

"Yeah, Master Bodo Baas," he said at last, "And it was…. Eh."

"Eh? You mean like 'eh, it was okay,' or 'eh, it could have been better,' or 'eh, it was good, I'm just tired,' or 'it was frakkin amazing but I don't know how to describe it so 'eh' is the best I got,' or what?"

"More like 'eh' I really don't know how it went."

"How can you not know how it went?"

"Well, it, I mean, Master Baas, all he really did was tell a bunch of stories that seemed to go nowhere and make me reshelve and dust holobooks."

"Well, I mean, isn't he some type of Jedi librarian? And I thought you liked the library?"

"Well I do, and I never said I have a problem with it, it was just not exactly what I was expecting. I mean, sorting holobooks is fun and all, but that's not exactly what I thought my Jedi training would involve."

"What did you think it would involve?" she asked.

"I don't know. I remember with Master Leem it mainly involved meditating and learning to use the Force and the like. But with Master Baas we did none of that."

"Do you think you could just be missing Master Leem? I mean, if their styles are different, maybe it's especially noticeable."

"You're right. It is different. And I mean, it's not like he's doing a bad job, they're just… different. I just need to get used to it, that's all." He paused and took a sip of his hot chocolate before continuing, "So it sounds like you really like Master Koth?"

"Yep, he's great. He taught me meditations, most of which were based upon motion rather than just sitting cross legged on the ground. I never did like those."

"Do you think that maybe the Force doesn't come that easily to you because you just don't know how to meditatie?"

Scout playfully threw a piece of bread at Whie, "Of course I know how to meditate!"

"Well yeah," he said picking up the bread and taking a bite, "But I meant that if you don't like it or at least not the way it's usually taught, then you won't get the most out of it. I like the normal way of meditating, and that's how I feel I connect with the Force. If I didn't, I don't immagine I would be that good of a Jedi."

She shrugged, "That may be part of it. I'm naturally bad at the Force, but the meditations certainly didn't help. I'd much rather be in action."

"Don't say that. You know it's not true."

"What do you mean? Of course I'm better when I'm actually up and doing something."

"No, you said you're naturally bad at the Force. That is not true."

Scout made a rude, dismissive noise, "Yeah right! Did I tell you my midichlorian count?"

"That doesn't matter. The Force comes to all no matter what their midichlorian count is. Just because your abilities may not be the best, does not mean that you are bad at it."

"Yeah, whatever. 'Everyone's connection to the Force is unique,' and all that."

"I'm serious," he insisted, "A Chalactan Adept or a Guardian of the Whills could be just as enlightened as a Jedi Council master but not be able to move a pebble an inch."

"Yeah, but, hate to disrespect the Force and all, but what's the point if I can't do anything as a Jedi? We are supposed to protect people, not sit around all day seeking 'enlightenment.' So it's almost pointless."

"Actually, we're supposed to protect people _and_ seek enlightenment."

"Whatever! What's your fancy 'illumination' going to do for anybody?"

"There is more to being a Jedi than the pursuit of power."

"It's not power for its own sake, its power to protect the people we love."

"No!" Whie said a little too sharply. "What I mean is, we do not love. Look, why do we protect people?"

"Because somebody has to?" she asked getting a bit annoyed.

"No, I mean, surely anyone can do that. All you need is a large enough police force or the like. What I mean is, why do those guardians of the people have to consist of those trained to be in tune with the Force?"

"Because we're the only ones powerful enough at times to stop evil?"

"No. We are not _by necessity_ more powerful than any other peacekeeping organization. We are servants of the Force. We protect people because they are the Living Force. The reason we are needed is because only those trained in the Force can interpret the Will of the Force and only those who are in tune with the Will can make the right choices. We are granted insight into the future through the Will. Our actions can lead to the greatest flourishing of life, but only if we are enlightened enough to make the right decisions at the right moments. Without this, we are blind power."

She stared at him for a few seconds. "You're making less sense than Master Yoda again."

His face got a little red. "It makes sense to me," he said weakly.

"Listen Whie, I'm not saying it is nonsense, but sometimes talking to you is like talking to an eighty year old dogmatic master who has all innocence and naivety of a youngling."

"Um, is that a good thing?"

She shrugged, "We're just different. Anyway, I'll be going. I put off a lot of my reading assignments and need to go do that. See you Whie." She picked up her dishes. Whie watched her as she walked away. Was she angry about something that he had said?

That night there was another storm. Sheets of rain battered against the window of the Chancellor's suite while lightning flashed in the distance. Every now and again the sound of distant and rolling thunder was heard. The sound may have been partially due to the architecture and thick walls of 500 Republica, the residential complex for the wealthiest and most affluent of sentients on Coruscant in which the Chancellor chose to reside.

Supreme Chancellor Palpatine sat behind his desk, fingers steepled and one eyebrow raised. In front of him Masters Yoda and Ti who explained the recent developments concerning Depa Billaba's reawakening. Palpatine already knew most of the story. After all, as the Supreme Chancellor, he had access to the complete details in full or summary of any official mission the Jedi went on. However, as the information detailing every single mission was voluminous and mostly trivial when taken as a whole, he had to skim over only the most important reports. The trick when dealing with anyone, was to always keep the details of just how much he knew vague. He could potentially have knowledge of any mission, but the extent of this knowledge he kept hidden.

He continued to listen, checking the Jedi's reports with previous knowledge. The Jedi could, of course, not sense his thoughts for he, as always, projected a thin void in the Force around his entire body. This trick was similar to the ability possessed naturally by a creature known as a Taozin, which appeared to Jedi to be completely devoid of the Force due to its ability to create a Force-neutral space around its body. As a result he appeared as a blank or sometimes a black hole in the Force thereby shielding his connection to the Force, as well as his mind, from any and all methods of Force based detection. The void that he created was not in itself instantly suspicious as Jedi had knowledge of humans who naturally possessed this ability. These humans, known as Force blanks, were rare, their ability likely from some sort of genetic or midichlorian fluke, but they were not unheard of. There was an incident several years previously where a Force blank named Granta Omega caused a great deal of trouble, but on the whole blanks were normal people and most were unaware of their strange Force nature. Palpatine enjoyed the irony quite a bit; he liked to have long friendly chats with the Jedi for the simple fact that he could. What other Sith Lord could ever have done the same?

As the Jedi finished up, Palpatine spoke, "Is she, in your opinion, stable? What do the medics think about her mental health?" He was sure to add a slight note of concern in his voice.

"We think so," said Master Ti, "but only time will tell."

Palpatine thought about this, "Would she be healthy enough to travel?"

"What do you mean, Chancellor?" asked Yoda.

"Well, don't you Jedi like to go on pilgrimages to places that are strong in the Force to meditate and heal when things like this happen? After all, I remember not too long ago you were hearing voices or the like and had to go on a pilgrimage to heal your mind." Palpatine loved mixing in innocent insults whenever he could. Nothing like implying that the wisest Jedi master was crazy.

Yoda seemed to pause. "Considering it, we have been. But for legal matters, we visit you now."

"Ah, I see," he said smiling, "You want me to get your friend out of trouble for that she can travel and get better." Nothing like implying that the Jedi were corrupt and above the law.

"Well, we haven't decided on a course of action yet," said Ti, "but since she cannot remember her fall, we would prefer to keep it that way, that is at least until we know she is healed. If she were to be tried, then this may not happen. We do not want to risk any more Jedi falling forever to the embrace of the dark side."

"I understand. And if this were to be made common knowledge, public confidence in the Jedi Order would fall tremendously." He added a hint of worry to his voice. He sat back and pretended to ponder the unspoken request. "I _could_ issue her a Pardon Disk."

The Jedi knew that a pardon was one of the many powers invested in the Supreme Chancellor. It was a relic left over from the days in which the offices of Chancellor and President were separated. The pardon was used by the President to absolve prisoners of their crimes in extreme circumstances in which the judicial process would be a burden or when someone really should be punished but for whatever reason the President decided to let them off the hook. The Pardon Disk was the physical representation of this action. It was a small disk given to the prisoner that contained a record of the event.

"If I were to issue a pardon, while the details would go on the record, they would not necessarily have to be publicized. Also, I could issue a 'blanket pardon' to absolve her of all crimes without specifying them. There is one problem though: in order for the pardon to be legally binding, she must accept it. That is to say, I cannot just wave my hand and she is free without knowing it. She must knowingly accept it."

Yoda and Ti nodded, aware of this. "Want to hear our options, we do."

Palpatine continued to think. "Was she ever charged for any other crimes?"

"Check our records, we would have to."

"If so, then then I could make a blanket pardon for those and she would have to accept it, thereby absolving her of her actions on Haruun Kal as well."

Yoda and Ti looked at each other. "We thank you for your time, Supreme Chancellor," said Yoda as he rose.

"Very well, it was good to see you too. And I look forward to being able to work something out." As the Jedi walked out, Palpatine smiled. This was going very well indeed.


	7. Ch : Bedlam

Ch. 7: Bedlam

The dark was warm, welcoming, and very heavy; with a considerable effort of will, Barriss fought it off. Her eyes opened slightly, but she could barely make out her surroundings. Despite this, she knew that she must get up. As a Jedi, Barriss Offee had been taught to trust in her feelings, to trust in the Force, and now the Force was screaming at her to get moving. She felt tired, more tired than she normally did. Maybe that was it. Was she sedated?

She pushed off her covers. They were thin and the bed was small. She was likely aboard some type of ship or space station. She sat up and looked around, eyes adjusting to the dim light. The room appeared to be made of some padded foam material.

 _Clang!_

She froze. Off to the right hand side was a door. It appeared to be made of metal but was coated in the same type of padded material that made up the walls. She looked all around as well as up at the ceiling. The only things in the room was her bed and a light that shone dimly in the ceiling. The walls were featureless except for the door.

 _Clang!_

There it was again. The noise was definitely coming from the other side of the door. It sounded like someone had struck it was a hammer. She listened closely. She could hear a strange hissing sound coming from behind the door, but could not make out any details. She looked around again and saw that the room wasn't quite as empty as she had previously thought. Up in the top right corner was a small, barely visible camera. Someone was watching her. She looked around and saw that each corner had an identical camera. Suddenly she felt like a germ under a microscope.

 _Clang!_

She looked back at the door and noticed that it had four bolts, one on each corner, but the bolts on the upper and lower right hand corners were melted. She looked at the top left corner and saw it melting as well. Someone was determined to get in. She rose from the bed. She was wearing a plain white nightgown, but it was loose fitting, the type that hospitals often use. As she rose, she was careful to preserve her modesty under the constant surveillance.

 _Clang!_

The final bolt was melting. She instinctively extended her awareness, searching with the Force, but she could feel nothing behind the door- nothing living that is. And yet, strangely enough, she felt thin pulses of energy coming from beyond the door. Something was there, but it wasn't exactly alive. She could feel no mind, no light or dark side aura, no trace of life, but something was there. She again looked around, this time for a weapon. Sure enough there was nothing. A half-remembered saying came to mind.

 _A Jedi is never unarmed._

The Force. She could call upon the Force. _No!_ She was not even a Jedi! But the last bolt had already melted. The door came down. Whatever it was appeared as a silhouette, backlit by the light from the outer hallway. Barriss was momentarily blinded. Whatever it was rushed at her, and she reacted instinctively.

She threw up a hand and called upon the Force. Whatever it was flew back as if hit by an invisible speeder bike. It was thrust upwards by the force of the blow and stuck embedded in the padding of the wall above the door. Barriss clenched her hand into a fist, and it imploded with the sound of screeching metal before dropping down in front of the door.

Barriss's heart was pounding. She had used the Force, or did it use her? She did not consciously defend herself, did she? Whatever it was that she had attacked lay on the ground; she saw blue sparks and smelled something smoldering. She carefully walked closer. It appeared to be some type of black humanoid droid. She saw its head and recognized it as a droid commando- one of the fastest and deadliest droid models the Separatists manufactured.

She looked out into the hallway. The hallway extended out from the door. Apparently her room was at the end of a long hallway. At the far end was another metal door, this one not covered in padding. She was about to venture out, but remembered something. She didn't have a weapon. She bent down to examine the droid. It's blaster appeared to be damaged, and Barriss did not want to risk disintegration by firing it. Luckily, the droid's plasma cutter appeared to be in working order. She picked it up. It felt clumsy in her hands which were used to handling a lightsaber, but it would suffice.

Slowly, she made her way out of the room and down the hallway. The hall was cold and sterile with no windows on either side. When she got to the end of the hallway, she felt the door and was surprised to discover that it was unlocked. She opened it slowly and stepped through.

The room that it led into was really more of a short hallway with three different doors. On the right, there was a window. She looked through the window to see some type of small hospital. She recognized it as the ship's medical facility from her time serving in the Republic Navy infirmeries. She opened the door and stepped in. Sure enough, the smell of blood and disinfectant brought back some not too pleasant memories. That's when she saw the bodies.

There were two of them on the ground and one in a bed. She recognized the garb of an assistant doctor on one. He was lying on his chest; a small pool of still-liquid blood pooled from a grisly wound in his neck that appeared partially cauterized. He had been shot. The other body wore a massive white robe. She recognized it as one of the Silent. The Silent were a group of mysterious monks who always wore long white robes. They were famous for never showing their faces or saying anything at all, hence their name. The Silent seemed, contrary to reason, to have a positive effect on the healing process of patients in the infirmary. Nobody could explain these strange abilities, some chalking it up to the Force or a simple placebo. The odd thing was, as far as the Jedi knew, they had no influence on the Force. Barriss was tempted to look under the Silent's veil, but decided against it. It would be disrespectful.

She walked over to the patient in the bed, a human male seemingly in his mid thirties with a blaster hole in his chest. She could still feel the echoes of their deaths in the Force. They had died recently, very recently. Her mind thought back to the commando droid, a likely suspect. She again extended her Force senses, trying to pick up any potential dangers. She could detect none, but then again, it was almost impossible to detect droids through the Force as they were not living. She walked over to a plasteel canister. It heald a medpack, but as Barriss had no pockets in her tissue thin robe, she decided against taking it.

She turned around, alert for danger, holding her plasma cutter in front of her like a miniature lightsaber. She walked out into the hallway, being careful to check for any assailants. That's when she sensed it- there was something alive beyond the door opposite to her. She paused and tried to gather more information, but all she was able to gather was that there was someone alive. She debated opening the door. Someone could be trapped or in danger, or it could be an assailant. However, he could sense no hostility, and even if whoever this was wanted to attack her, it would be better to deal with it now than ignore it and wait for the mysterious person to ambush her. She walked over to the door and opened it.

"Hey finally!" came a tired sounding voice, "Are you an angel or something? Ha, I'm just joking. That's a terrible introduction." She looked to see a young man imprisoned in an electric force cage. He had shaggy black hair, dark eyes and slightly tanned skin. He wore long pants, an old, used jacket, and a casual white shirt underneath which altogether gave him the look of a down on his luck spacer.

"Who are you?" she asked, her voice quiet from disuse.

"Hey, I'm Durron," he said casually, "so, uh, you mind turning off this cage?"

"Why are you in that cage?"

"Your guess is as good as mine."

She could tell from the slightly slurred, overly casual way he talked that something was affecting his mind. He was likely half drunk, or perhaps he was under the influence of some type of sedative. "So-" she began but was cut off.

"Hey wait! You're that insane Jedi, aren't you?"

Barriss winced at the truth of his words, "Yes, that is I. What do you know about me?"

"Yeah, didn't you get sent here from someplace back on Coruscant? I can't remember very well. I think my master and I were supposed to watch you-"

"Wait, master? What do you mean? Are you some type of slave?"

"What? No! Of course not, I'm a person and my name is Durron!"

"I know that," she said trying to hold back her temper, "but who is this 'master'?"

"Oh yeah! He's a Jedi, Nejaa Halcyon."

"Jedi?! Wait, you're a _padawan_?!" _Have the standards of what it means to be a Jedi fallen_ that _much since I left?_

"Yep!"

"Then where's your robe? You look like a lame RPG character based off a generic smuggler!" She closed her eyes trying to control herself. The Jedi deserved what was coming if this was their standards.

"Oh, yeah, about that, Master Halcyon often takes me to go undercover and we have to dress like this. We were going to Vorzyd V. He's called the 'Terror of the Underworld.'"

"'Terror of the Underworld?!' What is he a comic book character?! Hold up, don't answer. He probably does have a line of comics going on some backrocket planet. How did you get in that cage?"

"I don't know why," he said, "but we were supposed to escort you to the planet Bedlam. We then emerged from hyperspace above it, but the reactor blew filling the connection between bow and stern with radiation. We were separated… I think. And I woke up here."

Barriss could tell he was gaining lucidity. Perhaps whatever affected him was wearing off. She looked around and saw on the ground nearby what appeared to be a metal canister. She walked over to it and could hear it leaking something into the air. Whatever it was had been gathering in the small room before she opened the door. She picked up the canister and threw it into the adjacent hospital room.

"What was that?" he asked.

"Probably what made you act like a karking idiot. Someone must have wanted to prevent you from gathering the concentration necessary to break free with the Force."

He seemed to think about this. "Sooooo can I get out now?"

"Fine." She walked over and turned off the cage. "Do you have your lightsaber?"

He felt around on his person. "No."

She sighed, "Okay then be on the lookout I guess. I was attacked by a commando droid a few minutes ago." Barriss looked around. There were multiple empty holding fields, all empty, and at the far end was a door. Barriss walked up to it.

"Um, Barriss is it?" asked Durron.

"Yeah, what do you want?"

"I think that's the morgue."

"Really, how can you tell?"

He pointed to a sign that was off to the side.

"Oh," she said a little embarrassed, "I'm still going in."

She swung open the door. Inside was a single body hidden underneath a white blanket. She felt uneasy, but extended her hand. She grabbed the corner of the blanket and lifted upwards, peeling it back from the feet down. Underneath was the body of a man in a technician's uniform. Apparently they did not take anything off the body. Barriss hesitantly sniffed the air. Sure enough, it smelled odd, but not putrid. Apparently the man had died recently.

 _But the droid would not have had the courtesy to put him in the morgue._ She thought, _he must have died of something before whatever happened._

She searched for any marks of death, but could find none. That disturbed her more than anything. Perhaps he had accidentally been killed by a gas leak- or was poisoned. Those seemed to be the only options. Disease and other natural causes were ruled out by the unlikeliness of the medical facility to fail, and she could see no burns indicating radiation or electricity. She was about to leave when she thought of something. She reached very carefully to withdraw the small notebook, stylus, and screwdriver he had in his pocket. As she withdrew the notebook, a small, object fell out and bounced on the floor with a loud noise. She instantly picked it up and saw that it was a small, bronze crystal.

She flipped through the notebook. It was mostly unused, but on the last used page there was a note about replacing a large holoprojector focusing crystal. She looked at the small crystal and considered leaving it, but thought better of it. All of these items could come in handy. She looked back to the body and saw on the belt a pair of short range comlinks, she swiped them as well. She then left.

"Did you find what you were looking for among the dead?" asked Durron. She couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or not.

"Found a notepad, screwdriver, and crystal. I suppose they could be useful later on. Here put them in your pocket," she said handing them off to Durron. "Also, I found this pair of comlinks. Here take one just in case we get separated."

He did so as they walked out the room. There was only one way left to go, so they walked up to the door and listened. They could hear nothing.

"Do you sense anything?" asked Durron.

Barriss shook her head. "I'm afraid this entire ship is dead."

"Why do you say that?"

She could tell he was a little worried. "I don't sense any life outside of us, and I ran into three bodies in the medical wing." She gestured back towards the medical bay.

Durron looked back and saw the bloody corpses. "Oh."

"Yeah, we're going to have to be extra cautious." The door opened into another large hallway, but this time, off to one side was a larger corridor. Looking inside, Barriss could see a series of doors. It looked like a hotel of some kind. Barriss did not want to waste time, so she walked past it to another, larger door on the far end of the hallway. However, this door was not only larger, but locked.

 _Perhaps the assassin did not want anyone to escape from the dorms._

The door had a key card reader. She considered trying to use the plasma torch to burn through, but judging by the thickness of the door, it would take too long.

"Hey, maybe we should search the dorms," said Durron, "maybe they have a key card."

"Great," grumbled Barriss as she walked back to the dorms, "this feels more and more like an RPG by the minute."

"You play tabletop games?"

"Of course not, but everyone knows what _Caves and Krayts_ is."

"Fair enough."

They got to the entrance. Inside was dimly lit, probably on the the nighttime light cycle. "Look," said Barriss, "you can stay out here. I don't like the idea of this possibly being a dead end and I'd rather us not both run into anything."

"What do I do if something comes?"

She thought about it. She was likely stronger in the Force. While she really did not want to call on the Force ever again, if it meant surviving she would have to. She handed him the plasma torch. "Here, use this as a weapon, and we'll keep our coms on. If you hear something like me being attacked, come and help out and I'll do the same if I hear anything on your end."

"Got it," he said.

Barriss entered the dorms. All of the doors had been thrown open. Perhaps the droid had a universal access card. Looking through each, they all appeared to be empty. Hopefully the ship was running a half or quarter crew. However, towards the end of the hallway in one of the rooms, she found bodies. They were lying on the ground, also shot. She entered the dorm. A pang of sadness hit Barriss as she noticed the family photos of the crew members on a dresser. Barriss had seen a lot of death during the war, but very rarely saw the aftermath. Everyone had a family. She looked around on the dresser and found a key card. She was about to walk out, but then remembered that she was still wearing almost nothing but her underwear and changed her mind. She opened a drawer.

"Hey what was that?" came Durron over the com.

"Oh, nothing. There's just some clothes in here, and I thought I'd help myself."

She thought she heard a muffled _dammit_ over the com, "Oh, um, yeah, that's good. You know the whole half-naked Jedi thing is kinda dumb… unless you're Aayla Secura- er, I mean, nevermind, I'll stop talking now."

Without further ado, she opened the crew member's 'casual' drawer. She helped herself to a pair of pants, a _Repulsorhead_ t-shirt, and a sleeveless vest. She hurried; something about changing in front of a corpse didn't feel right. She was again about to walk out when she again stopped. She turned around and picked up a photo and knelt down next to the dead person she had just robbed.

The crew member was a young human female. In the photo was a family of five. Barriss matched her face to the photograph. She stood in the center with her father, an older man with a bushy moustache, on one side and her mother, whom she shared a strong resemblance with, on the other. In front of the father and mother stood two sons, both in their late teens. One heald a football while the other had his arm around his mother's shoulders.

She looked down at the girl who's life was ended by a bolt of plasma through the chest, killed by an unremorseful machine. In her cold, dead eyes Barriss saw all those she had killed. Letta Turmond, Jackar Bowmani, the six Jedi, three clones, and two maintenance workers- thirteen lives taken by her hand. In the picture, she saw their families. The entire Jedi Order grieving, the clone brothers saying goodbye, and the workers families asking why- why did the Force let this happen- why couldn't the Jedi do something; Barriss placed the photo on the body and stood up.

As much as she tried to prevent it, tears ran like rivers down her face, but she did not cry. No use in crying. She had done it. She had taken them. The Will of the Force was irrelevant when it came to the free will of mortal beings. She wiped her face. Outside, Durron was still waiting.

"Hey did you find it?"

She held up the key card and walked towards the door, not looking at him.

"Hey, um, are you-"

"Let's go," her voice was dry, betraying no emotion.


End file.
